Navy
by Gmann
Summary: Ciel Soleil prides herself on following orders and in fulfilling her superior's wishes to the letter. So when Ironwood expresses his desires for Penny to win the Vital Tournament, she throws herself headfirst into the task. However, when this mission leads to her accepting a date invitation by a certain blond, it spirals into far more than she, or anyone expected.
1. Giving Up

_Chapter 1: Giving Up_

 _Beta: Shad0wReaper133_

 **A/N: Big thanks to Imyoshi, who gave me the idea for this story (though I did make changes to the execution) and who also looked over this chapter for me.**

* * *

" _A prudent schedule is the key to eternal youth."_

It was a quote Ciel had heard a long time ago, spoken by her grandfather, ironically a few days before he died. Whether they were his words or not, was not something Ciel herself was aware of or particularly concerned with. She had taken them to heart regardless in her everyday life, believing that the old adage had at least some semblance of truth buried within it. The human body was a natural slave to habit. Do a certain action enough and eventually stopping would be harder than not. Sleep at a certain time enough and the body will begin to get sleepy during that time. Therefore, scheduling was simply the act of filling an essential role that few used to its fullest extent. Her grandfather knew it and thus lived a long life with energy spare and his mental faculties in check up until his death.

Ciel couldn't remember a time before she woke up every day at 5:00. Or when she didn't eat a meal at 6:05 am after having washed and dressed. What she ate was always planned the day before so that time would not be wasted on pointless deciding. It was one of the few things she took pleasure in, however. Simply because though she always made sure there were enough nutrients in each meal, they were flexible in content. One of the reasons she enjoyed cooking.

School had thrown a rather large wrench in her scheduling ability, however. Not because of classes or homework mind you. Ciel could and did excel at simple things like that, as in Atlas everything was clear and concise in its planning and action. No, the giant wrench was the fact that she'd been assigned to be the partner of Penny, Headmaster Ironwood's niece. Her entrance grade and initiation performance had apparently broken previous records set by Headmaster Ironwood's very own assistant, Winter Schnee, thus making her the clear candidate to be paired with the Headmaster's kin.

While this was a huge honor - she was always reminded as such - Ciel and Penny answered directly to the Headmaster for assignments rather than going about the normal scheduling in the school. At the very beginning, Ciel had been driven half-crazy with the constant interferences with her tight and very precise sequence of preferred events. However, as the days went on and those days turned into weeks, she became content with her now flexible schedule. It had even left open blocks of time for something she'd never felt was needed or wanted. Social time.

"Partner Ciel, are you excited to see Vale for the first time?"

Ciel turned her face from the window to look at Penny. She was sitting on the seat nearest to the aisle, but the two were still adjacent to each other. Something that wasn't particularly needed, considering the large Bullhead had many unoccupied seats. Ciel didn't mind, however. "It is simply another Kingdom. If anything, I'm perverse to the idea."

In Atlas, everything was often timed. The opening and closing of shops, when specific actions could take place, even a curfew in some places. The Kingdom inclined itself to her own habits. Vale was apparently heedless in that regard. Still, Ciel had vowed to her other teammates that she would keep an open mind about the whole ordeal. From what she'd heard from Bender Rojo and Jenny Honeydew - the two others that made up team SPHR - Beacon wasn't a bad learning environment. Not superior to Atlas of course but still adequate.

"But Vale is very interesting, partner Ciel! There's shops, people, and new friends!"

"All things that can be found in Atlas except possibly the latter," responded Ciel, looking out of the window again to stare at the vast ocean of water beneath them. It took a few moments to realize why Penny would even mention friends in the first place. She turned back to face her partner. "I almost forgot, you do have a friend in Vale, correct Madam?"

Penny nodded with a big smile. "Yes, I finally get to see her again," she nearly shouted before slapping a hand over her mouth and looking around shyly. _Oh yes, Penny doesn't want the Headmaster to know about her "friend."_ Thankfully for Penny and Ciel for that matter - she _was_ technically withholding information from a superior - Ironwood was not sitting with them as he often would. Ciel wasn't actually sure why the Headmaster was so protective of his niece and why she got such special treatment, but it wasn't her place to ask. That was another reason why she'd been chosen as Penny's partner, she went by the book.

Now mindful of her surroundings once more, Penny leaned in closer and whispered, "I'll introduce her to you if we get the chance."

Ah, never a dull moment with Penny around. When she was around rather. Ciel looked at her watch to see it was the normally scheduled time when she would begin training her body. However, that would be hard considering the location. Not to mention doing so would simply excite her body more so than it needed before bed. Because of the change in time zones, Ciel had been forced to create an entirely new schedule based off of Vale's time rather than Atlas'. It was... _highly_ annoying. Another reason she avoided long traveling.

"Thank you, Madame." Of course, Ciel wasn't particularly keen on being introduced to new people but would comply with Penny's wishes regardless. Ciel herself was, in fact, the leader of team Sapphire, however, she still was meant to serve as a guard and even servant for Ironwood and by extension, Penny. It was a weird power dynamic but Ciel made it work, like everything else. "I do hope that associating with your friend will not lead to trouble with terrorist again. From what you told me, it was quite the show."

"Oh no," waved Penny, still with a smile. "That was simply a minor coincidence that we were there when terrorist were. I guarantee it can't happen again!"

Sure, sure. Ciel would make sure that a similar incident didn't happen. That's what she was here for, after all, to stop disasters like that from happening. Keeping Penny in line wasn't so difficult in Atlas, and while Vale may prove to be an obstacle, it would be no task she couldn't handle. Ciel sighed and out of habit looked at her watch. Of course, her semblance and fine-tuned body clock meant she didn't have to look at the time to know what it was; however, the act was comforting.

"If you'll excuse me, madame, I will now retire to bed. I wish to acclimate to Vale's time zone before we arrive. I'd suggest you do similarly," spoke Ciel, standing up, ready to head to the back where the bedrooms were. Penny smiled at her.

"Unneeded but appreciated, partner."

Ciel nodded and walked from the seating area, waving her scroll over the door that lead to the bedroom and let herself in. Turning on the light, she once again noticed how small the space was. The dorms in Atlas had not been oriented for comfort in terms of space either. Ciel could barely stretch out both arms without hitting the walls. Of course, this wasn't a problem, simply an observation. The tiny room was also one shade of pristine white, including the bed in the corner, nightstand, and carpet.

She closed the door behind her and meticulously began disrobing and folding all her clothes in a neat pile on the nightstand. Within the nightstand, she retrieved a packet of small tablets and after removing one popped it into her mouth and bit down hard. It fizzed and bubbled within her mouth, which filled with a foamy substance. It was an agent meant to clean teeth if a brush and toothpaste were not available. While convenient, she'd still prefer the alternative, out of habit rather than pure utility.

After the cleaning agent dissipated, she finally laid down in bed and waited for sleep to take her. And usually, it would have had it not been for the fact that she was going to bed at a completely different time. Ciel was on Vale time now not Atlas, thus she wasn't getting tired like she usually would at bedtime. She sighed, realizing that this would mean that she would be groggy by morning. Something that hadn't happened in... many years.

After a few minutes, she managed to drift off.

/-/

Jaune wasn't stupid... although he felt the opposite at the moment. Today had been attempt seven to get Weiss' attention and ask her on a date. This time he'd actually _wrote_ a cover to one of Weiss' more obscure songs (figuring that might add bonus points) on guitar, _practiced_ said song for over a week, and then performed said song to her today in the courtyard in front of her and her team. He had even played it perfectly to the point that Yang and Ruby clapped after it was finished. Ruby he knew would clap but Yang?! Surely it must have been good. Blake freaking 'never looks up from a book' Belladonna looked up from her book!

How did Weiss respond, however?

" _I'd had hoped the week of peace had meant you'd given up."_

It had been such a shock that Jaune hadn't processed it at first, still panting with effort and looking at the girl he admired with hopeful eyes. Like a moron. Though as the realization of being so utterly rejected dawned upon him he suddenly felt very weak. The guitar had slipped through his fingers and fell to the soft grass and when he went to pick it up, Jaune noticed little droplets of water falling onto the grass. He was crying. _Crying!_

It hadn't been the rejection, not really. Maybe just the accumulation of a lot of things, like the aching in his fingers, the C he'd gotten on a test the day before, or just all the _work_ he'd put in this time. Time had felt frozen at that moment because he didn't want anyone to see him cry. Vaguely he heard Yang speaking to Weiss.

" _Gosh Ice Queen, don't you think that was a little harsh?"_

" _Oh please. If he wants to... oh my god…"_

Jaune had finally stood up with guitar in tow once again, showing his tears to the four girls in front of him and the three teammates behind him. Yang looked shocked, which turned into a look of pity. Blake raised an eyebrow. Ruby's mouth dropped open and silver eyes widen at the sight. Then there was Weiss, whose eyes were still wide in shock. He didn't want it. He didn't want any of it. The pity that was no doubt about to come. Jaune wasn't sad, he didn't need pity. He wasn't even aware of why he was crying at the time, just that tears wouldn't stop pouring down his face.

" _I'm sorry."_

That was what he'd tried to say but that clearly isn't what came out judging by the looks on everyone's face. His voice was so choked with tears that he didn't even attempt to speak again, instead, walking off quickly with his head down.

After running a great length into Beacon's garden, he stopped and collapsed into a soft looking patch of grass exhausted physically and mentally, laying spread eagle on the cool ground underneath the shady canopy of the forest. Which is where Jaune currently found himself. Staring at the branches for answers. The most pertinent answer was to the question, what would Jaune tell his friends when they came to find him. Because they _would_ come find him sooner or later, even if they were giving him his space for now... or trying to hold back Pyrrha from fighting Weiss.

 _Sigh._

Jaune reached up and touched his face, feeling that the moisture was still there. Well, he couldn't very well go up to his friends while still crying. Though that was another question he wanted an answer to. _Why am I still crying?_ The tears just kept coming, despite the fact Jaune didn't feel sad at all. He'd expected to get rejected anyway. Each time hurt but not by much and this time hadn't hurt, period!

"Then why am I crying?"

As expected, the forest canopy said nothing. Though if the trees had talked that might have been concerning. Eventually, he closed his swollen and heavy eyes, allowing the sounds of nature to take him away. _A little rest will do me some good. Maybe I can even avoid being bloodshot if I take a little nap._

Jaune went to reach for his scroll to see what time it was but lost interest half way through the motion. The next class was Professor Goodwitch and it wasn't a class that should be missed lightly. He was just so _tired._

 _Why should I show up anyway, just to get my ass kicked even worse than usual because I'm so tired? Screw it. Someone else can take my place as laughing stock today._ Jaune then thought to the encouraging looks on his friend's faces whenever he lost. Always smiling, always saying he got a little better. _I guess they won't have to put on their "Jaune needs support" faces today either._ His bitterness was directed more to himself than anyone else.

Still laying on his back, eyes closed, he allowed his thoughts to take him. _Maybe I cried because just like everything else, my best wasn't good enough. Combat class, tests in Oobleck and Port's class, training with Pyrrha, being a leader, Weiss…_

"Maybe it's okay, to give up?"

Jaune once again asked the air around him for answers it simply couldn't provide. Weiss was a dream, almost in the sense of being a validation point for himself. If she, the one who Jaune considered perfection, gave him a chance then maybe that would have finally given him the validation he wanted. He liked her and believed that there was far more than what was on the surface to find than just face value. She wasn't just a pretty face, if that was the case then he'd have given up ages ago. He thought back to something Yang had said offhandedly to him once.

" _If you put half as much effort into a different girl you'd probably be married by now."_

At the time he had believed it to simply be a joke and waved it off, but what if she was right? Maybe, but maybe not. In all honesty, he didn't feel like trying either. Weiss was the dream and she'd probably always be such for the foreseeable future. However, as Jaune rested, that dream began to fade a little. Whereas before it was a dream, he now saw it for what it really was. A pipe dream. A non-option in the long run.

Jaune Arc was a man of longshots. He'd gotten into Beacon. Not died in Beacon. Made friends in Beacon. And was even a leader in Beacon. Maybe the only logical conclusion was getting the most frigid maiden on RWBY's team to date him. Another long shot. _I've tried though, man have I tried._ Each attempt more elaborate than the next to a point where it was joked about around the first-year class.

Jaune opened his eyes again and stared off into the canopy. He wanted to try something and only after that would he be set on where to go from here. Taking a large breath of air, Jaune yelled at the top of his lungs, "I give up!"

 _Oh, that felt really good._

"I give up! I give up! I give up!"

The words felt like honeydew on his lips and fine wine to the tip of his tongue. Although as Jaune kept up his screaming into the forest, tears pricked at the edge of his eyes again before pouring down his face.

With one final moment of clarity, Jaune screamed with all his might, "I GIVE UP!"

Afterward, he once again rested on the grass, panting for air and letting his statement marinate around him. He finally knew why he cried when Weiss rejected him. It was because at that moment... he'd given up.

In typical fashion, his scroll buzzed not even a moment later. Jaune withdrew it out of his pants pocket and as expected, there was a message from Pyrrha. _[Where are you?]_

Looking at the time, Jaune saw that Combat Class had started a few minutes, meaning he'd been missing from his teammates for the better part of two hours. He was honestly surprised that they had given him that much free time before checking in.

 _But wow, I can't believe I've been in here for two hours. Where did the time go? This is probably the longest I've ever just sat and thought about one thing._

To be truthful, Jaune didn't want to come back just yet. Being out in nature seemed to have helped in its own way. Maybe he'd have to make a regular thing of this. But for now, he had to be a teammate first. Jaune typed back.

 _[I got lost.]_ Jaune looked at his message and then added as an afterthought, _[I'm not lost anymore. I'm on the way.]_

Pyrrha wouldn't believe that but at least it would buy him time to come up with something that sounded realistic. Problem was that they _knew_ he'd gone to ask Weiss out again. Therefore, they'd probably asked team RWBY if they had seen him. _Shit._

Jaune nicked his guitar off the ground and began running towards the school building.

/-/

When the leader of team JNPR slid into Combat Class, it was well into its first hour. As covertly as possible, he walked to where his teammates were sitting near team RWBY and took his spot next to his partner with a smile. Out of the corner of his vision, Jaune noticed the girls of their sister team staring at him. He chose to ignore that.

"Sorry I'm late, I got lost in Beacon's garden," whispered the boy to his teammates, praying that team RWBY had said nothing. The weight of the world was taken off his shoulders when none of his friends questioned his statement. That wasn't to say they didn't look skeptical but he could deal with that. Jaune withdrew his scroll, having felt the soft vibration of a new message. _[Are you ok?]_

It was Ruby. Typical question to ask he supposed. He typed back a response. _[I'm fine. There was just something in my eye is all.]_

Yeah, that was a long shot even for him that anyone would believe that. But Ruby could be really gullible at times, so maybe, just maybe it would work. Thankfully a distraction arose that was just what he needed to get his mind off the current line of thought. Never would have guessed he'd be happy to get brought down to fight in combat class.

"Jaune Arc and Cardin Winchester, please come down," called Ms. Goodwitch.

Jaune sighed and gripped Crocea Mors, getting wishes of good luck from his teammates. Pyrrha looked hopefully, Ren's stoic nod, Nora winked with a thumb up. They knew he would lose and yet pretended anyway. He didn't deserve them. This would be the last chance to beat Cardin for a while as well because the brunt of the exchange students were apparently coming tomorrow and most of the battles would revolve around them for the foreseeable future.

He didn't feel nervous though, not really. Jaune felt different in some way, more so than he did before humiliating himself in front of Team RWBY. Better than he did in a long time. Maybe all he needed was a really nice cry. Thinking about it, he hadn't cried at all since getting to Beacon. Everything had been overwhelming for so long and even after talking with Pyrrha he hadn't really bared it all, even to himself.

Jaune finally made it down to the ground level and walked onto the platform. Glynda was saying something, but he didn't pay attention. She said the same thing every time anyway. Cardin looked uncharacteristically bored. He usually would revel in beating a weaker opponent and even fringed being bored with victory Though today he looked honestly done with this fight before it even began.

"Hey Arc, any chance you'll forfeit and save me the trouble of thrashing you?" Asked Cardin, swinging his large mace around casually. The unexpected comment combined with the fact the question was toned towards mirthful rather than degrading led to Jaune chuckling before full-blown laughter.

"Ah, yeah I guess it would save both of us trouble. But I already walked all the way down here you see…" spoke Jaune, taking the stance Pyrrha had screwed into his brain.

He decided to leave his shield as a sheath, having never been great at attacking and defending simultaneously. Cardin's impeded expression didn't change at all though Jaune noticed the subtle change his profile, his muscles tensing in preparation. Ms. Goodwitch had given the signal to begin at least a minute ago, though other than banter, neither had moved. And that was odd as well, considering Cardin always went on the attack immediately. Maybe he actually was just tired today.

As if it was a chore, Cardin let out a mighty roar and rushed forward towards Jaune, his mace already making a large arc to cave in his head. Jaune rolled out of the way and backpedaled. He might have been unskilled but the attack had been telegraphed from a mile away. Not only that, it was slower than usual. Not in comparison to Pyrrha or Ren's attacks, but just comparing Cardin to his usual self.

 _Is he for real? I might actually have a chance if it's like this._

The mental fatigue of the day melted into nothing as Jaune's eyes steeled and his grip hardened. Cardin raised his mace once more with a soft grunt and rushed forward again, this time going for a wide horizontal swing that the blond rival not only avoided but managed to land a punish counter on his enemy's wrist. Then in the same motion rolled once more to avoid Cardin attempting to hit him with an armor-clad shoulder.

Jaune managed to get to his knees and vault away before the deadly mace slammed down on his earlier position. Though to his surprise, Cardin let go of the weapon and lunged at him with unexpected speed. A large hand grasped around Jaune's collar and before he could manage to break free, a second hand - this one in the shape of a fist - connected with his jaw _hard._ He saw stars, spots danced the waltz before his vision, and the room spun. But for the first time, it wasn't enough. Reflexively he brought up the handle of Crocea Mors and it collided with the bully square in his Adam's apple.

 _Not where I was aiming but I'll take it._

Cardin let his combatant loose in favor of grasping his throat instinctively. Jaune pressed the advantage and swung his blade with as much force as humanly possible towards his bully's face, more specifically his eyes. Cardin went to cover his face, it was only natural, but Jaune changed direction at the last second and connected with the bony part of Cardin's wrist once more, hearing a delightfully sickening _'pop!'_ ring out over the arena.

Having actually hit his mark, Jaune barely registered the guttural scream Cardin let out before falling over, clutching his wrist with tears in his eyes. The limb was hanging at an unnatural angle for a gliding joint and the sight nearly made Jaune sick to his stomach.

"Jeezus…" muttered the blonde to himself, still in battle stance despite Cardin rolling on the floor in agony. Jaune looked at the scoreboard to see that his opponent was still in the upper yellow. So, he'd be fine, though that injury would take at least a few hours to heal properly, which meant...

"This battle is over!" Ms. Goodwitch stomped her way onto the platform and stood in between Jaune and Cardin as if he'd hit the man while he was down. She would usually take this time to critique the fight, but she was preoccupied with making sure Cardin was okay. The three members of team CDRL had also come to help up their leader, who characteristically pushed them away. "Take Mr. Winchester to the infirmary," she told his teammates, who rushed to comply.

As they disappeared off the stage, Professor Goodwitch turned back to Jaune, who hadn't moved at all. He still couldn't believe what just happened. "Congratulations on your win Mr. Arc. You were able to act proactively to each attack and it is clear that you've been training your reflexes. However, in the future, I will say to be more cautious of unexpected counters as it almost cost you the win today. You've shown much improvement young man, but there is still room."

"I… yeah." Spoke Jaune, still in a daze.

That was it?

He'd beaten Cardin, but there was none of the raw pleasure Jaune thought he'd get from it. From where he stood, the other boy had just had an off day. Still, he bowed to Ms. Goodwitch and left the stage, heading back up to where he was sitting. Vaguely, he registered clapping from the audience, the loudest of which was coming from Nora, who looked like she might start shooting off grenades to act as impromptu fireworks. She brought a smile to his face, which would surely be mistaken for him being happy with his victory.

Team RWBY, except for Ruby who had jumped over the seats to hug him, seemed to be in shock. He hugged her back with a grin, looking back over to his partner, who was sitting with a small smile. It was clear she _really_ wanted to take Ruby's current position. Ren was much the same, downplaying his approval.

It was only this support that allowed Jaune to feel any semblance of pride in his win. Of course, Cardin would be out for redemption next time they clashed, so he'd better be ready. Until then, however, Jaune allowed his friends to pat him on the back.

/-/

The second Goodwitch's class ended, Nora demanded they throw a party in honor of Jaune's first win. Having felt pretty good, Jaune agreed and even went with Ren to raid the cafeteria of food to cook with while the girls of his team set up a party atmosphere in the common area. When he and Ren had gotten back, however, lo and behold that their sister team had shown up as well, more than likely brought by Ruby.

As he and Ren got to cooking - they had settled on making several different flavors of pancakes - the casual batter began to fly, Jaune couldn't help feeling a bit weird. Team RWBY still hadn't commented on what happened just a few hours ago. What with the excitement in beating Cardin, Jaune had nearly forgotten about the whole thing himself. It seemed distant in the past somehow. Especially as the food began to be passed out and Yang procured two bottles of vodka from thin air to add to the punch with all the flair of a master magician. Not long after, the atmosphere had melted into the warm solution of sensation he'd come to expect by now when among friends. Or maybe that was just the alcohol. Either or.

"Pyrrha, they should hire you to teach at this school considering what you've done for Vomit boy," chuckled out Yang, biting into a stack of chocolate pancakes. The red-haired girl laughed and waved off the compliment, flushed from a mixture of pride and punch.

"No, no, no... It has all been a result of Jaune pushing himself. He's... great," she sighed out before relaxing further into the couch. Jaune himself was sitting on beanbag near the corner of the room, flushing at her words. Nora piped up as well, who Ren had thankfully kept the spiked punch away from.

"Hell, yeah he is. He even took my advice and broke something! Not his legs but we can save that for next time," she proclaimed, giving a wink to Jaune. It was far more likely that it would be the other way around but he still returned the gesture with air fist. The mentioning of his accolades finally died down a bit after that, everyone focusing on eating rather than talking or on balancing the line between getting smashed and staying slightly buzzed.

"It's hard to believe the new semester begins tomorrow," spoke Ruby a couple of minutes into a pool game between Ren and Yang everyone had become invested in. "It doesn't even feel like that much time has passed."

 _Maybe for you._

The first day of school felt like forever ago. This morning felt like forever ago. Jaune stole a look at Weiss. He'd wasted a lot of time pining after her. Thinking back to beating Cardin, he realized he wasted a lot of time being afraid of him. Thinking back, he'd wasted a lot of time neglecting help before allowing Pyrrha to help him. _Damn, I wasted a lot of time. I should start scheduling or something. New semester, new Jaune._

Though before that could happen, Jaune needed to set things right. He had felt eyes on him since this party had begun. He stood up from where he was sitting and announced off handily that he was going to the bathroom. A few muttered 'okay' before going back to the intense game of pool. He chuckled and walked out the room walking down the hallway a few paces before stopping and turning around. Sure enough, Weiss was right there.

"Hey... Weiss." Saying her proper name instead of 'Snow Angel' felt weird on his tongue, but better somehow. The heiress seemed to notice the change as well. She walked closer until they were standing but a few feet from each other. He made no move to decrease the distance. "You know, staring at me and meeting in a dark hallway could give off the wrong impression."

"You're a moron," spoke Weiss, her voice the audio equivalent of an ice pick. Jaune smiled and looked up at the ceiling. He saw out the corner of his eye the girl about to speak again. But he cut her off.

"Weiss, before you say anything, I just want to say I'm sorry for today. I put you in an awkward spot and might have made you out to be a villain. Come to think of it, I've been making you a villain since the beginning with my constant flirting. I took you being harsh as just playing hard to get. Your response today was what I needed."

Weiss looked a little taken aback but recovered in a matter of moments. "Be that as it may, I should have been more upfront from the beginning and we both could have saved ourselves the trouble. So, let me be clear, I do not like you, Jaune Arc. Also, regardless of your hindsight, I do apologize for my response earlier. It was... needlessly mean."

Jaune sighed. If only she had said that sooner. If only he'd taken a hint sooner. Though he still couldn't except it like this. "I'll respect your decision... but I would appreciate if you could give me a reason. It would help."

She sighed and seemed to actually be having to think about an answer. _Is there one?_ There was.

"You came off as shallow, considering you began flirting with me as soon as we met. I initially believed you were a just another boy after the Schnee name until it became clear that wasn't the case. Although, then you just came off as a dolt, an incompetent dolt at that. The constant flirting wasn't just annoying, it was disrespectful, really. Every attempt seemed disingenuous, though after today I can admit that wasn't the case. The god-awful pickup lines. Also, you're not my type."

 _She has a type?_

The air felt stale after she finished speaking. Her words stung, ultimately because everything - baring that last one - were things entirely his fault. Jaune licked his chapped lips and nearly began to let loose a torrent of 'I can change' and 'one chance is all I ask.' However, he held it in and breathed it out in the form of a large pint up sigh.

 _It's time to move on, Jaune._

"Thank you... for your honesty." He flashed a small grin. "Though I've never known you to be anything but honest."

"I've never had a reason to. You weren't worth the effort." Damn, she was cold.

"Fair enough... Well, guess that's all I wanted to know and all I needed to say," He spoke, the burden of this finally being lifted for good. "Guess I'll head back-"

"No," interrupted Weiss, arms crossed, noticeably blocking his way back. He'd probably be scared if it wasn't kind of hot.

"No?"

"No," confirmed Weiss. "I want to know what you liked about me. If it really wasn't about my appearance, money, or influence. To my knowledge, it's the only thing my suitors ever thought about. So, I'm interested."

Jaune's expression stayed neutral, though inside he was shocked. Despite her even voice and rigid posture, the nature of the question seemed to imply that she was insecure on some level. Maybe all those things really were just what everyone before him had been interested in.

The thought saddened him.

"Well, at first I'll admit that it was just your beauty that struck me. You were like a masterwork painting that had come to life. However, after the first week, I began to notice all sorts of things, like your ability to focus, your diligence to improve yourself, ability to change when wrong. Not to mention that despite all your achievements you still had the humility to become a good teammate and... I guess a lot of it had to do with you being everything I wished I was. To me, you were perfect."

After finishing his spill, Jaune had to catch his breath. It was everything he'd ever want to say to Weiss. It was everything he had never had the guts to just come out and say. All of a sudden, he was back in the courtyard again, looking down at the girl he adored expectantly. She didn't say anything. Instead, staring deep into his eyes. He could already feel the heat radiating off his face. "Well?"

"Thank you for your honesty," she finally said, using the same response he'd used just a minute earlier. They stood in silence in the empty hallway for what felt like years before anyone spoke again. "I believe I misjudged you Arc. Truly."

 _Does that mean-_

"However! That does not mean I wish to date you. It simply means I was wrong and that I feel the need to acknowledge it. Can you respect that?"

Could he? All of this still seemed sort of anticlimactic and deep down he still admired Weiss a lot... but looking deeper, he knew what the answer was. Jaune smiled and stretched out a hand. "Yes. Yes, I can."

She met him halfway and they shook firmly, cementing the end to the whole thing. Jaune - ignoring how heavenly her hand felt - could finally say he felt fully at peace. "Well, guess I really should get back to the party. It was thrown in my honor after all."

He thought he saw the ghost of a smile appear on Weiss' face before he turned around and began walking down the hallway. "Yes, I know what that can be like. Have a good night, Jaune." Weiss walked past the common room and headed onward to team RWBY's dorm before disappearing into it.

Jaune chuckled to himself before going back to the common room. Little had changed, although, now everyone was crowded around the pool table with rapt attention at the pool game between Ren and Yang. Ren looked uncharacteristically sweaty and tense having loosened his collar and let his hair down.

Meanwhile, Yang looked much the same, but had put her hair into a messy ponytail and was now only in a tight tank top. On the edge of the table, Jaune noticed two stacks of lien as well. Nora and Pyrrha were on Ren's side as he held his pool cue in a relaxed grip.

"Come on Ren, you got this!" Spoke Nora, a powdered pancake in one hand and a handful of lien in the other. Ren barely spared her a look, pink eyes glistening in focus.

"Hush Nora," he requested in a soft voice, lining up his shot. Blake, Ruby, and Yang stood on the other side, not speaking, only staring at the table with bated breath. There were two balls left not including the white billiard ball. It seemed Ren was the one behind because he was aiming for a striped three instead of the eight. Jaune hadn't even seen the middle of this game but taking in the stakes, he didn't dare breath or make his presence known.

"Yang Xiao-Long," began Ren, taking his shot and banking the billiard ball off two walls of the table before it connected with the striped 3, sinking it into the furthermost left pocket. Ruby left out a small gasp and Yang bit her lip. Ren looked dead into his opponent's eyes. "You asked if I was a pool shark earlier…"

Ren stood and walked around the table right next to Yang's side, so close that they were touching. He leaned down with a pool cue in hand, lining up what would be the final shot. "To answer that question…" He finally stopped aiming, having calculated everything. Ren looked up into Yang's lavender eyes one last time. "You. Tell. Me."

Looking back at the table, he made the shot with the grace of a master fisherman casting his line, with the accuracy of a silver-eyed sniper and the power of an Ursa's charge.

The 'click' Jaune heard when the two balls met was possibly the most beautiful sound he'd ever witnessed. A tear left Pyrrha's eye. The eight-ball gliding towards the pocket as if pulled magnetically and as expected, met its mark with a heavenly 'thunk.' Nora let out an involuntary moan, Pyrrha along with the other girls seemed to be flushed, and Jaune realized he was erect. _Holy cow!_

Ren rose from his crouched position and ran a hand through his long, dark hair in a way that could only be described as seductive. He walked past Yang, who was still staring in stunned silence, brushing past her in the process. He snatched up the two stacks of lien.

"I'll be taking _that_ and because of the bet you so foolishly made, it seems team _RWBY_ will be the ones cleaning up instead of my team."

"What! But-" began Ruby before being cut off.

"Interesting, I thought you were a woman of your word Ruby. Was I wrong?" His words shut the girl up before she could even begin. Ren pulled out a hair tie before putting up his hair again. "I believe we are done here. Have fun, ladies."

Yang fell to her knees as Team JPNR walked from the room. Only then did Jaune's team realize he had even come back. The black haired martial artist's personality did a 180 and all of a sudden, he was back to the sleepy teammate of Nora. Ren smiled and Jaune felt his heart leap into his throat. "Hello Jaune, you were gone so long I had begun to worry."

 _What the what?_

/-/

It had been only approximately three minutes after Ciel woke up that she was called to Ironwood's office on the large airship. Her stomach complained as she walked the hallways, used to eating fifteen minutes after waking. She ignored it and walked through the ship, saluting at the soldiers walking by but otherwise not speaking with anyone before finally making it to the Headmaster's office. Looking at her watch, she was exactly on time.

Ironwood had always insisted that there was no need to knock if summoned, so she swiped her scroll over the metal door and it slid open, revealing the middle-aged general at a surprising uncluttered marble white desk. The only objects visible being a scroll and cup of coffee. Ciel walked in and the door shut behind her. She took a seat at the single metal chair facing the table. It clearly wasn't meant to be comfortable, perhaps built for the opposite, but the girl didn't mind. Use to her Headmaster's particular way of things.

"Good morning, Headmaster," spoke Ciel, saluting. He nodded and looked back down at his scroll.

"Good morning to you as well Ms. Soleil, I take it you didn't sleep well?"

"You would be correct, Headmaster." Of course, he would know that, being that he was well aware of her religious devotion to schedules, maybe even a passive result of her semblance. "While I'm fully capable of changing one to two things in my routine, redoing the entire thing will be a strain. Nothing I am not prepared for, however."

"Of course."

Once again, he went silent, interested in the scroll in his hand and taking sips of coffee. It took approximately fifteen seconds for Ciel to realize what was going on. Ironwood liked to beat around the bush more than anyone would suspect a man with authoritarian taste. When he was in the mood, or torturing someone, he could cut around the chase for hours or days. It was... effective. It was also something that Ciel had no patience for.

"Headmaster Ironwood, is there a reason you called me here?"

Ironwood looked at her before placing the beverage down. "Yes actually. I called you in here to inform you that I wish for Penny to win the Vital Tournament." The Headmaster left it at that and looked at her expectantly. Ciel stared back until it was clear he was waiting for a response.

"Are you telling me this because it is my job to make sure that it happens, sir?"

That was another thing that Ciel disliked. Orders that were not plainly spoken. Something that no one would ever expect the sure spoken General who always seemed to have a commandment ready on his lips. As expected her question went unanswered.

"Ms. Soleil, many people forget about the Vital Festival during the student exchange and then when they are alerted to the fact that the Tournament is near, they rush to get in extra training with their teammates."

"But that isn't the Atlas way," imputed Ciel, understanding where this was headed.

"No, it isn't. Ideally, it wouldn't be. However, students will be students and children will be children," he spoke the last part with a slight sigh but otherwise seemed unperturbed. Ciel had already begun to put together what he wanted from her without it ever being said. Analyze the best competition while they were still unguarded mentally, create a plan early, then reap the benefits in short order. Certainly not anything outside of her abilities.

"I understand now, Headmaster," she spoke. "I will carry out your wishes to their fullest extent. Discreetly, of course."

"Excellent. In that case, you are dismissed," he replied. Ciel nodded and stood to leave, though before she could get to the door was stopped. "Oh and Ms. Soleil, I must say that you are quite good at reading between the lines."

She turned back around before nodding. "Thank you for the compliment sir."

"Though your patience is still something to be desired. I'd suggest working on it. It can lend you quite the advantage on occasion," he added, making her think back to the beginning of the conversation. _It had been a test._ She'd surely sure up that weakness in due time.

"I understand Headmaster, I will work tirelessly on it."

"I have no doubt. _Now_ you may leave. Be ready to the depart in approximately three hours."

 _Three hours, sixteen minutes and twelve seconds._

She saluted one more time before leaving his quarters.

/-/

It was morning when Ironwood's airship finally arrived in at Beacon, along with a few passenger ships that were dropping off a few Atlas students for the upcoming Vital Festival. A few students could be seen milling about, likely to check out the new students. It was about what Ciel expected. Looking out over the crowd as she stepped out, Ciel made out the faces of Bender and Jenny within the crowd, their Atlas student uniforms easily sticking out.

Bender Rojo wore the chilly grin he always carried and stood straight in a way that resembled a soldier. His skin was a rich olive, complemented by short black hair and light hazel eyes that could be mistaken for yellow. Jenny Honeydew, his partner, stood close by and waved enthusiastically. She was far paler than her partner, nearly being snow white, though her hair was aquamarine in color. If not for that then she might have been mistaken for a Schnee.

Ciel and Penny walked down the ramp behind General Ironwood, flanked by an escort of troops. The warm breeze of mid-day felt foreign already, Ciel wished for the frigid chill of Atlas already. Looking to her side, she saw that Penny was certainly cheerful to be back in Vale.

 _It's just another assignment._

As they reached the ground level, her teammates approached the escort from the side. Ironwood gave a hand signal and the two students were allowed to bypass the soldiers and come talk to their teammates. Before Ciel could say anything, she was taken into an extremely unwanted hug by Jenny.

"Helloooo, my dear leader!"

"Oh dear," spoke Ciel, having gone rigid in Jenny's arms. "Please cease all unnecessary contact."

"This _is_ necessary contact."

 _Sigh._

"Good to see you again Ciel and Penny," spoke the fourth member of team Sapphire, Bender, who grabbed Jenny by the collar and yanked her off their leader. She nodded to him with gratitude.

"Thank you for your assistance, Rojo. It is good to make your acquaintance once again as well. We have much to discuss," thanked Ciel, brushing the wrinkles out of her shirt. "However, it will have to wait-"

"Nonsense," spoke the General, who had a small smile at seeing the teammates reunion. "Ms. Soleil. Ms. Polendina. You are dismissed until further notice. I must speak with Headmaster Ozpin right now at any rate." The soldiers standing by looked to the General.

"Should a few of us stay with the girl?" The girl meaning Penny, who was often flanked by soldiers at all times in public. Something that confused Ciel, considering the girl's enormous strength, though not anything she'd question out loud. Headmaster Ironwood simply kept walking.

"Ms. Soleil can handle it," was all he said. The soldiers grunted in the affirmative before continuing forward with the general, leaving Ciel and her team behind. While it was true Ciel was at the very top of the class, that including students in higher grades, the Headmaster's trust in her was truly surprising at times.

 _I won't fail him._

"Teacher's pet," muttered Rojo. Ciel ignored his comment. Jenny and Penny had begun chatting about some nonsense or other. Seeing as Jenny was nearly as oblivious as Penny at times, she regretfully had to conversate with him.

"Rojo, did you receive the message I sent you one hour, eighteen minutes, and forty-three seconds prior to this moment." His grin widened.

"That I did. The hit list you requested madame." His voice may have been saturated with snark but he still proceeded in withdrawing his scroll and handing it to her. Despite his infuriating antics, the boy did good work. She scanned through the index of names, memorizing it.

"They're in order?"

"Naturally."

"Excellent. Also, please refrain from calling it such in the future. That name would invoke unneeded confusion."

"Is it not accurate though?"

"...Ms. Polendina, Honeydew. We're leaving. Please escort us to our dorm, Rojo," spoke Ciel, refusing to admit that the boy was right. Though the grin he wore proved he already knew. He turned on his heels and march forward.

"Ladies... and Ciel, follow me."

 _Four years... then I'll kill him._ The four walked across the courtyard towards the school, drawing a few glances but little more. _Hmm, the campus isn't as horrid as I might have expected. It's unorganized for sure but has a certain charm. Though the students milling about do little to give an impression of discipline._

"Turn to your left and you can see the beautiful Beacon botany; best botanical bar none, baby," narrated Bender, who Ciel had decided to tune out for the duration of her time before reaching the dorm room. Instead, she focused her attention on Jenny.

"Honeydew, how have the classes been for you?"

"They're good, I guess. Honestly, it's a vacation compared to Atlas' pacing."

"I see," replied Ciel, looking at her scroll, where a schedule for the classes were displayed. She trusted Jenny's assessment, enough to change how much time she'd allot for homework and increase the amount of time for espionage. "And have you found the populous to be applicable to prying?"

"Well… I haven't tried to interact with them much…" she said sheepishly. "The only contact I've had is when I think some guys were trying to talk to me but left when Bender came back for some reason."

Ciel added _'brazen'_ and _'cowardly'_ to the mental list of Beacon student's attributes. "Good to know. I do hope you haven't been neglecting your studies simply because of a decrease in workload."

"Oh, course not, madame." She spoke in a slightly timid voice. Jenny, while bombastic at times, was surprisingly easy to cull. Maybe that was just Remnant giving Ciel a break, however.

As the team walked, Ciel made a mental note of the way so as to not have to ask again. _A left, a right, another right, up a floor…_ she also made a note of the different rooms they passed as well, spacing in and out of Bender's monologue based on whether or not he was giving actual useful information.

"…and here we are, dorm sweet dorm," spoke the boy, making a grand gesture of pointing out their room. "You'll be happy to know that there's at least 1/3 more square footage than at Atlas. Pretty fancy."

Ciel wasn't sure why that would be much of a selling point considering this team had more room in Atlas than any other, considering Penny didn't stay in the same room. Another condition she was not given a reason for. Speaking of…

"Ms. Polendina, I believe we-"

Turning around, she saw that there was no Penny to be found. Only a few other students milling about. Keeping a straight face, she turned to her teammates. "You wouldn't happen to have seen where Ms. Polendina went?"

Bender began looking around in confusion. Guess that was a no. Jenny was doing much the same. _Stay calm. Stay calm._ Ciel withdrew her scroll and called Penny. It rang. It rang…then timed out. The Atlas student felt a blood vessel burst.

/-/

 _New semester... new me. New semester, new me._

Similar to two days ago, Jaune felt different, though more complete. Everything that defined him during his last semester was over. No more Weiss pining, no more cowering to Cardin, and no more complaining. Hell, now that Weiss was behind him he might even turn his attention to someone else!

 _Then why does this still irritate me?_

The day had started like any other. He woke up, brushed his teeth, took a shower, ate some food... typical day really. At the moment, his team and team RWBY were chilling in the library. True to his new resolve, Jaune was actually reading a textbook instead of pretending like normal. However, something kept drawing his eyes.

"So, Snow Angel…"

Some blue haired Haven student was flirting with Weiss and while that wouldn't have angered him at all, the fact she was _humoring_ him did. What was different from his approach? Not to mention Jaune could tell the dude wasn't even trying and didn't care. Jaune continued to look down at the textbook on Grimm anatomy. Another thing that bothered him was that based on this evidence, Weiss was a hypocrite! She claimed he had come off as shallow, but there she was getting flustered over someone based on how they looked!

 _You're over her remember? It shouldn't matter anyway._

Either he wasn't doing a good job hiding his ire or his teammates expected a reaction because he could feel all their eyes on him. They weren't aware of his and Weiss' talk and thus assumed what she was doing hurt him. Jaune refused to give anyone the satisfaction of seeing him anything but impassive at the act. Still, Pyrrha's hand found its way to his.

"Jaune are you okay?"

"Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well…" she began. "This is the first time I've seen you read a textbook without an X-ray and Vav comic book in front of it. Not to mention you've stared at the same page for ten minutes…"

Jaune raised an eyebrow. "I'll have you know Pyr that I've decided to take my studies more seriously. Also, this is a very interesting page I'll have you know."

Thank goodness the page just happened to be on a complex diagram, so his second statement could be plausible. Pyrrha smiled at him. "That's nice, Jaune. I'm glad to see the change of attitude towards studying."

"Hehe yeah, you know me," laughed Jaune before going back to his book and blocking out all other stimuli.

Yesterday had been a good day. There had been an epic food fight and he'd been able to get in a really good day of training as well, Pyrrha having been extra tough on him. Something about how now that he beat Cardin she could go all out. She was woefully overestimating him but the sentiment was nice. The soreness in his muscles weren't, however. Yesterday had also been good because Weiss was noticeably nicer to him. Even saying good morning to him instead of the other way around. It had shocked everyone at the table.

Pyrrha looked over to where Weiss was talking with Neptune before looking back to him. "You're not mad at all by that?" She asked in a low voice.

"It's not really any of my business is it?"

"It's not?" Asked Nora incredulously, looking up from the book she was sleeping on. The reaction managed to get a chuckle out of Jaune.

"No, it isn't. Never was, really," he spoke, still looking down at his book. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the shocked expression of Pyrrha slowly turned into a small but ever-increasing grin. Gods, she looked happier than when he beat Cardin. Ren and Nora were giving each other looks. _They're acting like I said I'm becoming the new Headmaster._

"Oh Jaune, this is an excellent change of attitude! Yes, yes!" Blurted out Pyrrha in a loud voice, clearly trying not to yell. _Huh, guess she really hated to see me getting upset over Weiss. Gosh, what a great partner._ "I'm glad you finally came to this conclusion."

"Yes, it is quite the healthier change of mindset. Although, I must ask, where did this come from?" Asked Ren. "Now that I recollect, Weiss seemed more cordial to you yesterday. Did something happen between you two?"

"Yeah actually. We finally talked seriously about the whole thing and settled matters," He explained, specifically leaving out why they initially settled matters. They wouldn't judge him if they learned about his break down, but he'd still rather avoid it. Jaune looked over at her again and smiled. "It's better this way."

Pyrrha rested her hand on his forearm in support. _A better friend there has never been._ "You're right, Jaune. You'll see this is for the best."

Jaune smiled. "Thanks, Pyrrha. I'll try to be a better partner to you this semester as well." Even as he spoke these words he already knew what she'd say.

"You've already been a good partner to me, Jaune," she replied with a smile. _Yep, almost word for word._

Jaune chuckled and stood up, stretching his arms and yawning. Honestly, how could anyone be as good to him as Pyrrha was? He'd been a class A douchebag for a good while there and had she judged him for it Jaune wouldn't have blamed the girl at all. Yet, damnation never came.

"Whatever you say, Pyr. I'm still going to try better regardless," yawned out Jaune. When he began walking away from the table, Pyrrha stood up to leave as well before he stopped her. "I'm coming back you know, I'm just headed to the bathroom."

"Oh... right."

Jaune smiled at the small blush on her cheeks and continued walking until he left the library. While it was true that there was a bathroom in the library, he needed an excuse to go for a walk. Not a particularly long one, but just long enough to clear his head. _Mhmm, guess I won't have a chance to go to the garden today either._ Ever since the first time, he'd been looking for an opportunity to get back, seeing as sitting in grassy area had helped him to think. Though with all the time he was spending with his team, guess it was out of the question for now.

"Hmm, maybe this weekend?" Jaune asked himself out loud. "No... I should really spend that time with my team as well. Although I could-"

"Who are you talking to?"

Jaune nearly didn't register that the words were spoken to him. He took two more paces before stopping and turning his head to see a red-haired girl looking at him with her head cocked to the side. Looking around the hallway and seeing no one else, Jaune concluded that yes, she was talking to him.

"Uh... myself…"

"You can talk to yourself?" She asked, green eyes fluttering at him. Jaune was certain that he'd never met this person before and was positive she wasn't a first-year Beacon student either. _Oooohhh, must be one of the visiting students. Man, the other Kingdoms have some weirdos._

"Sure. I talk to myself all the time. It's like thinking but saying them out loud instead of in your head." _I can't believe I'm describing this to someone who isn't below age 7. Is this a joke?_

"Fascinating," she responded, coming off completely genuine. Jaune's mind blanked on what to say next. This person clearly needed an adult and that was not him.

"Um, so where are you from?"

"Atlas!"

 _Huh, that's a surprise._ "Cool, I have a friend from Atlas. Do you know Weiss Schnee?" Asked Jaune, despite realizing that it wasn't likely. Penny placed a hand on her chin in thought.

"I do not believe so, but I have met Winter Schnee, the elder sister of Weiss Schnee." This reeled in Jaune's attention further. He hadn't heard Weiss ever mention a sister. Granted maybe it was just common knowledge and it was just another detail he somehow missed. _Hmm, I should check that out and see what Weiss will look like when she's older._

"May I ask a question now?"

Jaune looked up from his thoughts. "Hm? Yeah, go for it."

"Do you know a Ruby Rose?"

"Yeah, she's one of my best friends. You know her?"

"Yes, we met on my last trip to Vale and she became my first friend!" She said with glee. Jaune grinned at hearing the information.

"No kidding? Ruby was _my_ first friend at Beacon and I was hers!" Exclaimed Jaune. "Wow, small world, right?" Asked the blond leader raising a hand for a high five.

"No, the world is quite big," she answered before completing the high five, a move that nearly depleted 3% of Jaune's aura, possibly fracturing a bone. It took everything in him to not fall on the ground and do an imitation of Cardin.

" _Errrmmm_ , quite the strength you got there... actually I don't think I caught your name?" Jaune realized, still clutching his arm. Penny nodded in agreement.

"That is correct."

"Okay. _Can_ I get your name then?"

"Certainly."

 _Sigh. Weiss greatly exaggerated Atlas if people like this are walking around. Ruby must have the patience of a saint._ "Okay... well, I'm Jaune Arc. Short, sweet... actually never mind. What is your name?"

"My name is-"

"Ms. Polendina," spoke a voice from further down the hallway. Jaune saw 'Ms. Polendina' seize up at the sound, her expression like one of a child caught being up past bedtime. Turning to its source, Jaune caught a glimpse of the new girl that just arrived. She stood straighter than a metal rod, her sharp gaze made him feel inadequate, and the tone of her voice was reminiscent of Glynda Goodwitch. Now, _this_ is how he pictured an Atlas student. "May I ask why you left my supervision when you were instructed otherwise?"

"I…"

"It's unacceptable nevertheless. I _should_ record it in my report." The red-haired girl found something interesting to look at on the ground, seemingly not being able to look up. The girl's piercing eyes then found their way to Jaune, grounding him in place. "And who are you?"

"J-Jaune. Jaune Arc," he responded immediately, sweating slightly. Her eyes narrowed.

"I see." She outstretched her hand. "I am Ciel Soleil. Excuse my partner."

Jaune found that he had lost the ability to speak at some point, so he just nodded his head and shook hands. Ciel had a very firm grip. Or maybe that was just his arm still recovering from Ms. Polendina. Either way, it left him light-headed.

The girl in blue and white did a 180 on her heels and began walking off. The friend of Ruby followed closely behind, not saying anything else. Within a few seconds, they were out of view.

Arm still throbbing and still slightly confused at the sequence of events, Jaune walked back to the library in a haze, plopping down next to Pyrrha, and let his thoughts catch up. _Okay yes, what the hell was that? Anyway, guess I should tell Ruby or something._ Looking around, he saw that team RWBY was gone.

"Did team RWBY go back to their dorm?" He asked. Pyrrha looked up from her book and nodded. Well, he could always just message Ruby on his scroll. Although in all the excitement he had forgotten to use the bathroom... with a sigh he stood back up. "I have to speak to Ruby about a thing... I'll be back."

 _Note to self, use the bathroom in the library next time._

As Jaune withdrew from the library a second, he thought back to the girl he'd run into. Or rather the teammate of the girl he'd run into. Just thinking about her gaze ran a shiver up his spine.

/-/

"Teammate Ciel, you mean it!"

Ciel nodded, walking side by side with Penny so as not to lose the girl again. She had just informed Penny that she would neglect to inform Ironwood about this little mishap on the condition it didn't happen again.

Of course, it also benefited Ciel, seeing as the Headmaster wouldn't lose trust in her this way. Though Penny was still a bit too naïve to catch on to that. There another reason why Ciel wasn't angry, however. She had gotten to meet Jaune Arc. He by himself wasn't very important, but who he was teamed with was. At the top of the list Rojo had made for people to look out for come the tournament rested Pyrrha Niko, with Nora Valkyrie not far behind.

It would be advantageous to see him again.

* * *

 **A/N: New story new me. This is the first purely Romanic story I've written thus far and also the first story I'll only be doing with two prospectives. Well, tell me what you think in the comments and I'll see you at the next update.**


	2. Decisive Action

_Chapter 2: Decisive Action_

 _Beta: ShadowReaper133_

 _Story Beta: Sir Snuffles the Stalwart_

 **A/N: And this** **week's thanks goes to Sir Snuffles the Stalwart, who helped me plan this chapter, plan everything else and is probably the only reason it got out in a somewhat timely fashion.**

* * *

"You two have definitely been shirking your normal routine in the face of Beacon's lackadaisical nature. I'll be sure to fix that," spoke Ciel, looking at her two teammates sluggishly getting ready. Jenny didn't meet her eyes, though Bender had something to say. In a huff, he threw down the gray Atlas uniform and stood to his full height, which was more than a head over Ciel.

"But it doesn't even make sense to get up when we do at Atlas! There are still three hours before classes even start, classes we're ahead of I might add. It's _logical_ that we would adjust to get more sleep. That's the only thing you seem to understand right?"

The leader's expression didn't change. "Mr. Rojo, please refrain from raising your voice again. I wouldn't care for it to become a habit. Also, if you have enough energy to posture at me, then I'm positive that you have more than enough to get ready. Please resume that course of action for _both_ our benefit."

Contrary to what some without context would expect, the boy backed down and let out a sigh. He even looked a bit flustered under his leader's stare.

"Yes madam," he muttered out before going back to getting ready. Ciel nodded and sat down on her bed, sitting cross-legged with her eyes closed. Blocking out the sounds of Bender and Jenny beginning to converse, she immersed herself in thought.

 _That's the first time in a while he bucked up to me. It would seem we still can't quite connect, possibly because of our vastly different mindsets. It's another thing that I shall work on. However, the plan for Penny comes first. The top team to win is JNPR because of Pyrrha Nikos. However, based on Rojo's list, Xiao-Long, Valkyrie, and Scarlatina may be trouble as well. There are also the teams from Haven and Vacuo to worry about. Then again-_

"We're finished~"

Ciel opened her eyes, coming face to face with Jenny, who had situated her face mere centimeters from Ciel's. She smiled sweetly and as wide as possible. Ciel simply raised an eyebrow.

"What? You always look so angry and serious when you're meditating. It's scary. I was hoping you'd smile if I was."

The leader sighed and unfolded her legs before sliding off the bed. "So is Remnant, Honeydew. I suggest you acclimate to it or change professions."

As a team leader, it was Ciel's job to maintain order and dignity among her subordinates, however, they were not soldiers. Not yet at least, as the Headmaster had reminded her. Nor was she a general or officer, as the Headmaster had also been kind enough to point out. That being said, it was necessary to throw out a bone occasionally, as the saying goes.

With her hand on the doorknob, Ciel turned back to the two somewhat despondent teenagers behind her and flashed a small, nearly non-existent smile. Jenny gasped a little and Bender fought down a blush.

"I'm happy to be working with both of you again. Now, let's show some Atlas discipline," spoke the leader, opening the doorway to the hall.

As if her words were infused with magic, both teammates stepped to attention. "Yes, Madam!"

They marched out of the room in perfect step, followed closely by Ciel herself. Headmaster Ironwood had been right, as always. _Throw bones when needed and throw them sparingly._ It wasn't until they got to the end of the hallway that Jenny and Bender realized they had no idea where to go. Breakfast for first years didn't start for another hour and a half.

"Hey, boss woman, where we headed again?"

"The training rooms. I want to test if your combat has grown as lax as your sleep schedule."

"Pfft. Hey, where is Penny today anyway?"

"Well Rojo, Ms. Polendina will be with Ironwood most of the day before being escorted to us later."

Neither of Ciel's teammates seemed happy with that news but didn't speak up regardless. It was old new that Ms. Polendina was usually away from the team. Ciel could count the number of times the whole team had been together with both hands. No-one complained, of course. That would be paramount to disagreeing with Ironwood himself.

"So, weapons, or hand to hand?" Jenny asked, fiddling with her shirt as they reached the sparring rooms. Ciel barely gave the question a single thought.

"Whatever you are feeling most comfortable with at the moment."

The response might have seemed straightforward to an uninformed listener, but it was far from it. Ciel knew very well that she exceeded both her teammates in hand to hand _and_ melee combat. However, if they chose weapons, so would she and it would become a much tougher opponent. Looking at each other, both Jenny and Bender nodded in unison.

"Hand to hand."

Ciel felt an iota of pride swell within. She always liked to think that her drive for excellence in everything compelled her team forward to do better. Granted, both her teammates had been in the top 3 students before Atlas academy, but that in itself could have led to them becoming complacent. With her as the leader, they constantly improved to catch up, reaching and breaking limits they wouldn't have otherwise.

Thus, she refused to lose to them. Ever.

"Very well. As usual, you can both attack as you please."

Ciel removed the watch on her wrist and placed it on a bleacher before walking on the stage. She fell into her stance and faced the two. Despite their contrasting personalities, or possibly because of it, they worked in harmony with relative ease. Bender used defense as an offense while Jenny used offense as a defense.

The two partners walked side by side, giving Ciel a wide berth. It was clearly done to allow Bender time to activate his semblance, which took time to work at full effect.

It would be a bad strategy to allow that.

Ciel bolted towards the duo, Jenny meeting her halfway. In terms of travel and attack speed, the aquamarine girl actually did give Ciel a proper challenge. None of them were pushovers in the least and Jenny seemed to have something to prove today.

Jenny always went low to high when it came to combat. This time it was a low kick to the shins followed by a nearly as low kick to the knees and so on. While this method seemed predictable, and to a certain extent it was, knowing rarely helped to counter. Firstly because she could land five powerful kicks within two seconds and secondly because Ciel never knew how high or how low.

However, Ciel managed to block or dodge each strike regardless. When her teammate went for an open palm strike to the face, the team leader saw an opportunity and lashed out, grasping her wrist and twisting it harshly. She was rewarded with Jenny gritting her teeth in pain and stumbling forward slightly, allowing Ciel to bring her elbow around and ram it into the offending girl's temple as hard as possible.

Usually, she'd follow up with a grab or kick but Ciel was forced to move out the way of a punch that could probably knock her clear off the stage delivered by a now semblance enhanced Bender. She didn't falter for even a millisecond.

Ciel stepped back the minimum amount to not take damage and in the same motion brought up her leg in a kick that impacted directly on Bender's elbow. If not for his aura and semblance it probably would have broken, though she was sure it only caused minor numbness for him. She retreated afterward. The longer they stayed in one spot the greater his advantage would become.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of white clothing. Ciel ducked and rolled to the side just in time to avoid a kick to the kidneys from Jenny, who was back in action surprisingly fast. Getting to her feet was about all Ciel managed before the two, now attacking in tandem, came at full force. Bender, also quite fast, came headlong with a fist cocked before spinning on his heel and delivering a roundhouse instead, which she, instead of dodging all together, jumped in the same direction as the attack and moved with the momentum when it connected.

It was risky but with the right timing- and it was - she could negate any damage while also ending up in a fairly advantageous position behind him. Had she ducked there was no doubt Jenny would have punished her with a kick to the face.

Ciel got in two brutal kicks to Bender's right knee before raising an arm to block a heavy kick from Jenny, a move that rattled her entire body. The next attack, a punch to the sternum, was easily blocked with an open palm. They were both trained in Atlesian mixed martial arts but Ciel won out in the exchange again, performing a spinning heel kick in the same instant Jenny performed a vertical kick.

Jenny hit air as Ciel sank low and spun a complete 360-degree rotation before smashing her heel into her combatant's cheek. In the same motion, before Jenny could finish crumbling to the ground, Ciel brought her already raised leg down as an axe kick where the shoulder met neck.

 _That should keep her down for awhile._

But she'd spent too much time with her. As Jenny impacted on the ground Rojo seemingly materialized from thin air at her side. Ciel instinctively struck out with a punch towards his face only to hit what felt like an invisible brick wall before connecting.

 _When did he have time-_

Ciel flared her aura and brought up her arms in time to take one of Bender's left crosses. Pain exploded from her right arm and she was sent careening backward, though her feet never left the ground. When she finally came to a stop, Ciel wasn't given a moment to consider her completely numbed arm as Rojo's large frame took up her vision again.

He threw a jab to her face, one she avoided by letting it pass by and countered with a knee to the sternum. Characteristically he tanked the attack and let loose a right cross, which she jumped back to avoid only to run into another invisible wall, though this one much more brittle than the other. So much so that it shattered even as she pressed her weight against it. However, it slowed her down enough to where she barely managed to duck under the punch, the fist just grazing her scalp.

Afterward, she jumped back into a roll and gained some space. Looking back up, Ciel noticed that Bender hadn't even attempted to pursue. Instead, staring at her with unadulterated murder and rage, breathing in short, shallow breathes.

It was true that they were never easy on each other in a spar but to get this angry…

Jenny, who had finally gotten up, suddenly became her normal timid self upon catching a glimpse of her partner. "Bender-"

"CUT THE SHIT CIEL!"

Ciel remained neutral. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me! Fight me for real or fuck off!" He screamed this so loud she was surprised he hadn't torn a vocal cord. Jenny 'eeped' and backed away.

Ciel would surely correct his current behavior later. However, she understood his frustration at her actions thus far. For once, the leader had been wrong. "I understand, Rojo. I promise to fight you properly now," she said, falling into fighting stance once more.

Her words seemed to have done the trick because while Bender's rage dulled his intensity only rose. A grim smile spread across his face. "Thank you... Madam. Jenny, get ready! I'll need your support!"

She nodded and came to his side, now back in battle mode once again. Coyly Jenny let her right hand be taken into Bender's. After around thirty seconds, he let go. It was clear he used his semblance to harden her defense this time around, as she was low on aura. Usually, she'd stop him before he got the chance to use his power but Ciel allowed the advantage just this once. Afterward, the two rushed their leader, each one headed to her flanks. They were holding nothing back and it was only fair to do the same.

Just as they came into range, Ciel's eyes flashed as she activated her semblance.

/-/

 _Taking notes suck! How does anyone pull this off!?_

Oobleck was droning on about a something or other and Jaune was writing just about as fast as he could without developing carpal tunnel. Only when the man would actually slow down to ask a question to anyone not paying attention - usually Jaune himself - could the boy take a slight break. Being studious was _hard_ , though he could already feel a noticeable improvement in that he actually knew what was going on now. Already a huge upgrade from last semester.

Then something amazing happened. Jaune was so caught up in the subject matter that he felt a weird itching in the back of his brain. Something he hadn't ever felt in any of his classes. _Is this what they call a question?_

As if by magic Jaune's hand raised in the air and his chest swelled. He was finally one of the smart kids. Before he would look at the ones asking questions in awe that they could even follow the conversation. After actually reading the assigned chapter, however, he could follow as well. _I've arrived. Intelligence is mine. Next stop, singularity._

"...and that is why the gap between... well this is a surprise. Mr. Arc, you have a question?"

Everyone perked up in surprise. Seeing the looks on his friend's faces made him grin more than he already was. "Yes, I do. If possible, could you go into further detail about the geopolitical nature of pre-Valean City because its impact on Vale's relationship with Mistral has yet to be probably explained."

"...That... is perfectly within my capabilities! Excellent question Mr. Arc. Now as you can see, Mistral and Vale have…"

Jaune went back to writing notes, enjoying the feeling of being able to participate. His note-taking was interrupted when a piece of paper was slipped to him by Pyrrha.

 _/Excellent job keeping up with class today and also participating./_

It was just a quick sentence of commendation but it meant a lot coming from his friend. It was hard to communicate in Oobleck's class without getting reprimanded. So he responded by writing on the paper as well.

 _/Thanks Pyr, means a lot coming from an overachiever like you. :)/_

Jaune had to stop himself before he wrote that he still didn't deserve her as a partner. That'd lead to him getting a firm talking to after class, which was the opposite of what he wanted.

 _/You're too nice, Jaune. XOXO/_

Looking at the paper, Jaune saw it as Pyrrha just being her humble self again. Nothing out of the ordinary there. Though her own reaction to writing it was odd. It looked like a blush was spreading over her face and neck. Jaune also raised an eyebrow at the 'XOXO' at the end, not knowing what it meant. _Must be some new way of saying LOL I guess._ Shrugging, Jaune responded one last time before going back to his notes.

/ _Right back at you. XOXO/_

Shortly afterward, Pyrrha excused herself from class, face bright red and whining softly into her hand. _Huh, I wonder what that was all about?_

When Ren looked over to him with a questioning stare Jaune shrugged. For the next ten minutes, the team leader diligently wrote down each of Oobleck's points, paying even closer attention so as to be able to tell Pyrrha what she missed when she returned. Which she eventually did, looking a lot better.

As she took her seat beside Jaune, he scribbled out another message. / _You alright? You left rather suddenly there./_

Pyrrha nodded without meeting his eyes and kept working. _Eh, must have been the heat or something._ Afterward, the rest of class seemingly flew by, the bell ringing not too long afterward. It even seemed to go by faster when he was paying attention rather than attempting to sleep without being noticed.

Everyone stood up and began filing out of the room. It was already lunch time, leading to the students walking a bit faster. Which is exactly what Jaune have done if a small hand hadn't pulled on his hoodie sleeve. Turning around, he saw his first friend and fellow leader, Ruby.

Upon seeing that she wasn't smiling or even peppy, Jaune waved his team to go without him. They gave a few weird looks but didn't say anything. Team RWBY also walked on without the two, Ruby more than likely having told them to do so. When the classroom finally emptied of people, Jaune spoke.

"Ruby, you okay?"

"Are you okay Jaune?!"

He nearly fell over at her outburst, not expecting it at all. The small girl grabbed on to his collar and pulled him down so they were eye level. Jaune might have blushed at the proximity had she not slammed their foreheads together, causing him to grit his teeth in pain.

"Aaak?! What are you talking about?"

"You're acting weird!"

"I'm sorry just let me go!"

Ruby sighed and let go of him, leaving him to stumble back into a seat. He still barely got a chance to catch his breath before Ruby walked up on him again. Since he was sitting, she was able to stare him down at eye level. "Jaune, you've been completely different for this whole week and it's weirding me out. I'm worried."

Jaune chuckled a bit and rubbed his hair. "Is that what this is about? Ruby, it's _fine._ I'm just trying to improve myself for the new semester and be a better leader-"

"Wait. Give me your word you won't lie first," demanded Ruby, hands on both hips. _Gosh, how can a cute fifteen-year-old be so scary?_

"W-Why?"

"Because an Arc never goes back on his word. It's the only way I can be sure you're not just lying to make me feel better."

She didn't know it but that sentiment warmed Jaune's heart more than he would ever admit to anyone. "I promise not to lie, Ruby. I give you my word."

"Hmph, well good. So let me ask you point blank. Are you just trying to impress Weiss with all the changes?"

"Uh... no, I don't think."

"But you are doing it because Weiss rejected you."

 _When did she become so damn inquisitive?_

"Well... sort of I guess. It's mostly just that Weiss got me thinking about all my flaws I guess. After the talk we had, I wanted to improve." Even as the words left his mouth Jaune realized how that sounded.

"Not for her! Not to just try and gain some approval in her eyes," he finished to avoid further scolding. Also, it was the truth. Ruby's eyes narrowed, a sign to continue.

"It's just that I really hate the way I've been acting up to his point. Every class I'd flirt with Weiss or sleep instead of listening. Slack instead of studying. Allowed myself to be bullied into submission. Fail at flirting when I could have been training... I honestly wish someone would have knocked some sense into me. Preferably not Cardin though."

He spoke the last part with a chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. Which seemed to work, as Ruby's intense scrutiny finally lessened to her usual soft gaze. She let out a somewhat exasperated sigh. "So you're just changing because you realized you don't like how you've acted up until this semester? Not for Weiss or anything like that?"

"Pretty much. I figured if anyone would be proud of me, other than Pyrrha, it would be you. Didn't you give me a whole leadership speech about improving or something around this time last semester?"

Ruby placed a hand on chin while she pouted in thought. "Huh, I guess so. At this point, we might as well make it a tradition."

Jaune smiled at the thought. "Actually, I like that idea a lot. At the beginning of each semester, we'll give each other a stern talking to if we see the other is being a moron."

"Or sooner if one of us is really being a moron," spoke Ruby with a giggle, completing the thought. Jaune laughed along with her. It wasn't until now that he realized he hadn't spoken to his first friend at Beacon that often, another regret from last semester.

As the two began to settle down, Jaune flipped the roles of their conversation. Ruby had taken a personal interest in his well being, it was only fair he did the same. "So, how have things been for you? What with finding out Blake is a Faunus, fighting terrorists, and classes it couldn't have been easy."

His friend shrugged and plopped down beside him in an adorable huff. "Honestly dude, I don't even know half the time. I try to just stay optimistic and determined and hope my team will find some comfort as a result. All the crazy stuff happened one after the other, so there wasn't much time to even _do_ anything other than just react."

"I see. Did staying positive and optimistic actually work?"

"I don't know!" She shouted, throwing her hands up before letting them fall in exasperation. "I'd like to think that my attitude made a difference but other times... I just can't tell. Then after the incident at the docks, I tried to have a group meeting about what happened but everyone sort of blew me off."

"Damn, really?"

"Yeah. It's hard sometimes. You treat me like anyone else but I still think my team sees me as a kid sometimes. And it's impossible to get feedback anyway! I can't trust Yang half the time and Blake will bend the truth enough to avoid confrontation. Weiss will be honest with me but that's just _one_ out of _three_ opinions I need to make changes to benefit everyone. Plus now we're in this crazy mess with Blake killing herself tracking the White Fang. Something that could have been avoided if we'd have had the _flipping team meeting!"_

Jaune just continued to nod in agreement until all the anger had exhausted itself. It was a tactic that he'd learned after seven sisters and more tantrums than could be counted. Seeing Ruby this way really was an eye-opener. To think under that blinding optimism was someone just as capable of being angry and frustrated as him. Gingerly, he placed a hand on her shoulder, feeling the girl's body shudder as she drew in deep breaths. He even began drawing circles on her back until she recovered.

"You okay now?"

"I... yeah. That's been building up for a while. Thanks."

"For what? I haven't even offered any advice."

"For being the only person I could do that with," she said softly, leaning in closer to her friend. "I know it's childish to throw a tantrum and to yell. But I also know you won't judge me for it or mention it. So thanks for that. That's better than any advice right now."

He placed a gentle hand on her head and grinned. "Hey, what are fellows leaders for? If we can't confide in each other then who can we confide in?"

She stuck her tongue out at him while containing a large grin. "No-one."

He mirrored the gesture before standing up. "Exactly. Now let's get out of here before we miss lunch entirely. I'm sure both our teams are wondering what's taking so long."

Ruby stood up and brushed off her skirt. "Nope. Not for me anyway. I had already told Yang to tell Weiss and Blake that I'd be having a talk with you. And considering it's you I'd be surprised if they thought I'd be back before the last class started."

"Oh, I see. Well, my team- wait what do mean by that?! I don't have that many problems do I?"

Ruby lovingly punched his arm. "Psh, nah. Think of it as you're just so _complex_ and _brooding_ that it'd surely take an afternoon to go through it all."

 _Hmm, brooding. I like the sound of that._

Then, as they walked to the exit Jaune finished processing what his friend had actually said. "Wait, Ruby! What do you mean _all of it?_ All of what?"

"Come on Jaune, we're seriously going to not get to eat," spoke the girl casually, exiting the empty classroom with Jaune on her heels.

"Ruby I'm serious!"

/-/

Ciel was on her way to the pickup point for Penny after getting out of her classes for the day. Her partner was currently being watched by a few of Ironwoods personal troops at the moment. Uncharacteristically, she was ahead of schedule instead of just being directly on time. She hadn't come up with a good reason to _not_ be early, however, so no need to put it off. The soldiers on guard would certainly be happy about being relieved earlier.

Or rather that would have been the case if she hadn't, upon walking around the corner of a hallway, come face to face with Jaune Arc. At seeing her his eyes widened and mouth forming an 'O', appearing nervous for some unknown reason.

"Hey... um... hi?"

"Hello, Mr. Arc. It's a pleasure to be in your company again."

The boy's skin became a faint pink at her words, though she couldn't imagine why. "O-Oh, it's pleasure to be in your company as well, M-Miss Soeli...er, how are you liking the school?"

 _Hmm, despite the stuttering he does seem to at least have manners._

"It's been quite unsatisfactory if we are being honest with each other. The classes are all undemanding and leisurely for my taste. As a leader, it must be quite the challenge keeping your team motivated in these conditions."

There was a slight pause before Jaune responded again. "Pssssh, yeah definitely. I manage somehow though," he spoke, waving his hand as if it wasn't that big of a deal. That made sense, considering he'd been in these conditions for a whole semester. Surely he would have adjusted by now. Seeing as he was the leader of a team with the Nikos champion, he must have considerable merit.

"Quite."

Ciel's eyes trailed up and down the boy in anything but subtle way. Jaune's face became even redder as a result. She needed a way to bring up combat.

And she found it.

"I see you have your weapon with you," spoke Ciel finally, eyes trained on the sheath hanging from his belt. "Headed to the training rooms?"

"H-Hm? Oh, my sword! Um yes, I was actually headed to training rooms for just a quick warm-up before training with Pyrrha," stuttered out Jaune, removing the weapon from his belt. Ciel was quick to analyze every inch of it.

"May I hold it?"

 _Hm, it's highly unlikely he'll allow me to hold something so critical. Especially with the Vytal Fest-_

"Sure thing. I take it you're a weapons nut like Ruby?" He dropped the weapon into her arms with little fanfare. Ciel was better at tactical espionage than expected, considering her usual social ineptness. That or Beacon was simply an easy mark. Either conclusion was acceptable.

"Ruby Rose?" She asked while withdrawing the sword from its scabbard. The blade shimmered in the low light of the hallway. It was heavier than expected. Not the light alloy used commonly in this day in age. _It must be old. Very old from the look of it._

"Yeah, she's the one your teammate is friends with. She was really surprised when I told her that Ms. Polen- I mean Penny was here."

"Interesting. I've been meaning to-"

Ciel was startled for a split second when the sheath she was holding transformed into a shield right in her hand upon accidentally pressing a button. Jaune jumped a little too since he was standing close but quickly began chuckling to himself. Ciel raised an eyebrow at him, though that only made his chuckling worse.

"Hehehe, I'm sorry, it's just your reaction was kind of funny."

"I'm glad you're so amused," replied Ciel, feeling foolish for the first time in possibly years. However, her single track mind of discovering any information she could quickly dispensed of the slight embarrassment with haste and refocused on the matter at hand. Jaune seemed to be a goldmine of valuable information. Information he gave out quite freely.

The blonde haired boy finally calmed, now apologetic. "I shouldn't have laughed. It surprised me too when I first handled it."

He offered to take it back. An action to which she readily complied with.

"It's perfectly fine. I should not be so hasty in handling the possibly volatile weapons of others. However, I notice that your weapon has no mecha-shift components. You must be quite skilled to make up for the lack of range."

Jaune blushed and rubbed the back of his head.

"Psh, nah. Pyrrha says I've improved but I can still barely hold my own honestly."

"I see." Ciel couldn't tell if he was simply being humble or not. She had met a handful opponent who claimed mediocrity only to land more than a few hits on her. Something that didn't happen often. "I notice you speak very often of your partner."

"Huh, do I? Well, she is really important to me. I couldn't have made it this far without her."

"Interesting. Is she as skilled as they say?"

Of course, Ciel had watched all of Pyrrha's fights as soon as she left Ironwood's office. She knew for a fact that the red-haired girl was a monster in the ring. Ciel also knew that if she got Jaune excited enough to talk about his partner he might be liable to drop pertinent information.

As predicted, he began bragging for her like an overenthusiastic parent. "She totally is! She'll start out friendly but then it's like she becomes a different person once the fight heats up. Then-"

Ciel's scroll vibrated loudly. Then again. And again.

Jaune now interrupted, stopped talking to allow her to take the call. Ciel was perturbed that her attempts at getting information were now halted, but duty called. She withdrew the scroll and answered with video and audio.

The display appeared to reveal two men in Atlas military uniform. One had his helmet off, while the other had his on, but the visor was up. Both looked scared. Ciel stood up straighter if that was even possible.

"Private Soleil, we have a situation."

"Clearly. Do be mindful of what you disclose from here on. I'm not alone at the moment. Private First Class Delio, please continue."

"To be blunt, we've lost track of Penny."

 _That girl must have a secret camouflage semblance._

"Understood. I take it you were at the drop point when you lost her?"

"Yes, we're not sure how just that now she's nowhere in the courtyard. As a pathfinder, I assumed you'd be the best to call."

 _Other than Ironwood._ It went unspoken that they would rather this didn't get reported this in, even if protocol dictated it. However, while Ciel didn't relate to people well, the fear of facing a commanding officer was something she _could_ understand.

"I'll see what I can do... and leave it out of my report if possible."

Delio looked like he might cry. "Bless you, Private," he spoke before cutting the call. Ciel sighed. It would be a task searching for Penny on such a large campus. Though that assumed she was still at Beacon.

"Your teammate is missing?"

Ciel had nearly forgotten Jaune was still there. She turned to see his expression laced with concern.

"Yes. Ms. Polendina requires supervision at all times and thus her missing is quite the quandary," she explained, leaving out the classified information.

"I see... Hey, the last time I spoke to her she wanted to know about Ruby? It might be worth the effort to call her and see whether they're together. Can't hurt to try right?"

The logic made sense. Each time Penny got into trouble or went missing so far, Ruby Rose often had something to with it. "Yes. That's a sound idea."

Jaune pulled out his scroll and dialed up his friend. After a few moments of silence, the call connected and Ruby Rose appeared on the screen. "Hey, Jaune. What's up?"

"Hey, Ruby. Um, I was just wondering whether you know where Penny is? Her partner looks like she might run the gauntlet of Vale to find her."

"Oh... psh, what? Penny? I haven't seen anything like that..."

Jaune raised an eyebrow, though before _that_ could be scrutinized any further, a second voice was heard. "It's okay Ruby, you don't have to lie."

A girl with orange hair and green eyes appeared on the screen beside Ruby. Ciel immediately grabbed the scroll from the boy's hands as to converse with her charge directly. "Ms. Polendina, where are you?"

"Vale," she answered, with a bit of shame. Ciel breathed in and out, which was just about the most she ever displayed anger outwardly. Penny shrunk back quite a bit. Ciel's eyes locked onto Ruby, who also looked nervous by now.

"Send your location and don't move, am I understood."

"Understood Madam!" The girl squeaked out.

The call ended and was followed by a ping that entailed the location of the two. Ciel handed the device back to Jaune. "Thank you for your help, Mr. Arc. I'd have not been able to find her so easily if not for you."

"Glad I could help. Need me to take you there, since you're new here?"

Ciel usually didn't like to rely on the help of others but this was the most efficient way and since he was asking…

"That would be ideal. I thank you for the offer."

The two headed in the direction of the Bullheads that traveled to Vale.

/-/

As of late, the universe felt like it had turned upside down for Jaune.

First off he was now studying and understanding what was going on in class. He was improving far quicker with his daily sparring with Pyrrha now that she decided to no longer go easy on him. Despite possessing remaining remnants of affection for Weiss, she was no longer his primary concern. At every step, he was becoming better than before... and apparently, that also included girls as well.

Weiss had given him something to think about with how he approached girls he was interested in. No more pick-lines, no heavy-handed flirting, and no ill rendered pet names. Hell, Neptune had taught him something as well. Being confident _did_ work. Though confidence that didn't cross the line into arrogance. In simplest terms, be cool.

With all these things new strategies, Jaune had decided to strike up a conversation with the cold looking Atlas student the next time he saw her.

And. It. Had. Fucking. Worked.

Okay, granted, it wasn't like she was swooning over him or anything. But she was giving him the time of day! Having a decent conversation and even joking a bit! That was a damn sight better than any headway he'd made with Weiss in an entire semester. Not to mention that by all accounts this girl seemed like she might be even _stricter_ than Weiss. At every turn, Jaune had been sure that he was about to blow it and ruin everything but it didn't happen.

If that wasn't incredible enough, Ciel had gotten a call about a missing teammate by some guy in military uniform. That was sort of odd but remembering how the girl had acted when Jaune first met Penny made he assume she must be important somehow. Anyway, it wasn't his place to ask. However, when Jaune realized he could actually help the situation, earning him potential brownie points, he'd jumped on it with the haste of the wind.

Which now led to where he was now. Walking side by side with the stunning dark-skinned girl to the cafe Penny and Ruby had decided to wait at. She had the same authoritarian seductiveness that Glynda exuded. Maybe that was the reason he hadn't stopped using her last name.

"Once again Mr. Arc, I apologize for imposing myself on to you." She sounded indifferent, however, seeing as this was the third time she'd apologized in seven minutes Jaune decided that just must be how she always sounded.

 _By all means, impose._

"It's fine, Ms. Soleil. I'm the one who offered after all."

 _Really, you're doing me a favor._

After that, the two walked in silence again. Jaune didn't mind silence at all, in fact, as of recently he had even come to love silence. Though the main reason he didn't speak, was, the more words exchanged the better chance to mess things up.

As they neared the cafe, which was just a block away, something caught Jaune's attention. There was a presentation of sorts featuring some of the Atlas droids that he'd seen around along with a large hologram mech-like suit of armor, and a much smaller holographic man addressing the crowd.

"...these Mechanized battlesuits will be seen defending the borders of our kingdom within the year!"

A booming applause followed the statement. Jaune nearly clapped as well without knowing why. He was glad such a thing was on their side. If Ruby was here she'd probably be salivating.

Looking to his side, Jaune saw that Ciel was also staring at the display with a blank expression. He was about to ask if she was okay but the girl snapped from the momentary stupor by herself. "Let's keep going. We are nearly there."

"Hm? Sure, I guess."

It only took a few moments to round the corner and head across the street, which landed them just outside of the cafe Penny and Ruby were. They were sitting at one of the tables outside of the building on a nice patio. An area, Jaune noted, that couldn't be fully seen from the street because of well-placed plants.

As he and Ciel came into view of the two girls, both stood up from their table. Ruby still looked nervous from the small interaction she and Ciel had, while Penny still looked ashamed for causing this, to begin with.

"Hey, Ruby. Hey-"

"Ms. Polendina, I cannot describe in words how disappointed I am at your behavior," chastened Ciel, cutting Jaune off while walking right up to Penny's face. Amazingly her voice didn't change at all and yet there was an edge he couldn't catalog in words.

Ruby must have felt it too because she rushed to defend her friend. "I'm so sorry it was all my fault-"

"Ms. Rose, I will speak to you after I have addressed my teammate. Am I clear?"

"Yes, Madam!"

 _Jeez, I felt the chill from that…_

Ciel turned her attention back to Penny. "Ms. Polendina, you may be very important and as my partner, you are in my care, however, this is not a pass to act as you please. The careers and livelihood of those tasked in watching over you are on the line, and while that may mean nothing to you, it is not a transgression I will overlook. I strongly advise you reconsider any such course of action in the future. Am I clear?"

"Y-Yes…"

Ciel's steely gaze bore through Penny for a few more seconds before she then turned on Ruby. "Ms. Rose, my employer would rather you or any of your friend group not speak to Penny."

 _That's a little harsh._ Jaune almost stepped in to save his friend from a tongue lashing but Ciel continued.

"That being said, I am nothing if not proactive."

A scroll was pushed into Ruby's hands. She looked up at the older girl in confusion. "I... I don't understand."

"I have my doubts that Ms. Polendina will heed my words, and I do not need her to go looking for you again without supervision. Thus, I'm asking for your contact information so that we can arrange a time for Ms. Polendina to interact with you. As long as it does not interfere with your schedule, of course."

Penny looked to be a state of shock. "Y-You mean it partner Ciel?! What about... _him_?"

" _He_ has given me quite a bit of freedom to act within my own discretion. And if I were to worry him with this then I'd possibly force his hand to send you back to Atlas early, or restrict your freedom to the airship only. Something that would be a burden to both of you. This way is more... beneficial."

Ciel barely finished speaking before she was damn near attacked by Penny and pulled into a crushing hug. A hug that quickly became a double team when Ruby joined the fray as well. "Penny was right, you _are_ a softie."

"Yes. She is very soft."

Jaune snickered at the scene. It was sweet and heartwarming but Ciel's face of complete indifference sold it as comedy gold. When she managed to free an arm just to check the time Jaune finally lost it completely and burst into laughter.

/-/

Thinking back to the conversation she'd had and the decisions she'd made, Ciel reaffirmed to herself that her actions had been just. When dealing with Penny, it was advantageous to use the psychology a parent would use on a child.

The end goal being that the child will trust you enough to not keep secrets, no matter how large. If the child believes they will be punished harshly or feel that you do not understand, then they will go somewhere else when problems arise. Or worse, _rebel._

Naturally, Ciel hadn't ever rebelled as a child or kept secrets for there was nothing to hide, though she had read many books on the subject of child-rearing. Not that she ever planned on having them. It was purely from realizing many of the simple techniques used to control children worked surprisingly well on teenagers and adults as well. What that said about people as a whole, Ciel didn't consider.

Thus, that was the reason the military girl had played the role of the 'softie' as Penny had apparently called her at some point. Of course, there was a balance to be found between leniency and commanding respect. A line Ciel would like to believe she walked well. Of course, the decision benefited her as well. Now she'd have a _reason_ to associate with the friend group that possessed such troubling future opponents.

"So Ruby, where are you headed now?"

"Back to Weiss. I was supposed to be helping her with research or something. Guess I'll meet up with her and regroup with my team and see they found anything out."

"Oh, the White Fang thing right?"

"Yeah. Blake and Sun apparently went to a recruitment meeting so I'm a bit worried about that."

The conversation between Jaune and Ruby had garnered all of Ciel's attention for the majority of the walk back to the airship landing docks. It was impossible, especially for someone from Atlas, to ignore any mention of the White Fang. Hearing that they were recruiting in Vale was certainly information Headmaster Ironwood would want to know. Of course _where_ she got the information from would be left out.

While focusing on that, however, Ciel's mind was distracted by a conflict of information.

Ironwood had told her that he would be presenting the new mech suits today and yet there had not been any physical units at the presentation. It was possible the shipment arrived late or was misplaced in the docking warehouse in Atlas, but it still seemed odd. It wasn't something she'd ever ask Ironwood about, as it wasn't her place, but as her curiosity became stronger, she decided to ask someone who might know. At least more than she did.

"Ms. Polendina, may I ask a question?"

Penny turned to her in surprise. "Of course, partner Ciel."

"Do you know of any misplacement of the new Paladins that were supposed to be unveiled today?"

The redhead cocked her head to the side. "Yes, the General was very upset this morning about their disappearance. Did he inform you of it?"

 _Well, that explains that then._

"No. I merely noticed a discrepancy in my information."

With that cleared up, Ciel then focused on what the two Beacon students were talking about. The fact that the names 'White Fang' and 'Torchwick' were being thrown around was enough to capture interest.

"...seriously though, we would have been fine helping you guys out Ruby. We're all friends after all."

"I _know_ that Jaune. We didn't want to get friends involved with any more of this mess is all."

"Oh, but you'll invite _Sun_ and _Neptune_ to go, even after they were spying through your window? Sounds like a weird standard to me."

"Ugh, it's not like that and you know it. They just sort of showed up!"

Ruby and Jaune's friendly bickering was interrupted by a loud buzz sounding out from the youngest girl's scroll. She quickly answered and the group of four was met with screaming over the sounds of traffic.

"Everyone, if you can hear me we need backu-"

"Heeellllpppp," shouted a high pitched male voice, cutting off the female. "They got a robot, and it's big, it's really big! The Torchwick guy is in it! But like, it didn't eat him- he's like controlling it or something."

 _What did he just say? As far as I know, there is only one model of mechanized battle suits. Which means…_

"Oh man, I am not missing this," squealed Ruby, putting away the scroll. Jaune's hand gripped Crocea Mors, maintaining a skeptical expression.

"Don't you think you should be slightly less excited by a giant robot piloted by a notorious criminal chasing down your friend?"

"Nope! Come on, let's hurry Jaune. They need help," rushed out Ruby, running in the direction of the freeway.

"Oh, _now_ you want my help," he called after her. The boy sighed and turned to Ciel and Penny.

"Er... I apologize on behalf of my friend. I'm gonna stay and help, though. You guys should probably make it back to Beacon. I know you might get in trouble if Penny gets hurt."

"While you are not incorrect, I'd be remiss to ignore this. Plus, Ms. Polendina will stay behind me at all times. Correct?" She asked, turning to look at her partner. The girl nodded readily.

"Great, let's go. Follow me." Jaune began running in the direction that Ruby had gone. Ciel and Penny easily kept pace.

While they all ran to catch up, Ciel made a few well-placed calls.

/-/

Jaune could barely believe what he was seeing as he, Ciel, and Penny arrived below the highway. Team RWBY was actually about to try and go against that crazy mechanized thing by themselves. They were insane!

"Freezer Burn!"

A huge cloud of steam erupted from where Yang's fist slammed into the ground. Jaune turned to Ciel to make a comment but found that she was gone from his side and was running into the fray of things.

 _I'm surrounded by crazy people!_

Jaune ran to get closer the action, Penny trailing at distance behind him. Seemed she was really going take Ciel's command serious. As the smoke cleared, Jaune saw to his surprise it was the beret-wearing girl standing at the forefront with RWBY behind her, one arm out as if to stop them from attacking.

"Please stand back, team RWBY. I will handle it from here."

Yang and Weiss were speechless. Blake's eye twitched.

"Everyone, this is Ciel," spoke Ruby with a nervous grin. Before any more could be said a volley of missiles was sent from the massive tank on legs, forcing them to scatter as the ground exploded into ash and debris. Even as his ears rang Jaune could hear Yang yell in frustration.

"Fuck that! I'm tearing this thing apar-"

"That _thing_ is 2.76 million lien of Atlas taxpayer money. I would prefer if it stayed intact," retorted Ciel before somersaulting out of the way of another missile. Jaune's senses were obscured when more explosions rocked the ground. He might have fallen backward had it not been for Penny catching him.

"Thanks, Penny, " coughed out Jaune. She smiled down at him.

"No problem, Jaune."

He and the orange haired girl move back out of the immediate danger zone to watch the others fight. Or rather argue from the sounds of it. Jaune had every intention of helping out his friends but was out of his depth in this madness.

"Well, what do you propose we do then!" Blake shouted this over the roar of gunfire coming from the mechanized monster. After Ciel's request that the weapon not be destroyed the five girls had been arguing back and forth while dodging out of the way of incoming attacks.

"Reinforcements will be here momentarily, but for now, leave it to me," spoke Ciel, who didn't seem the slightest bit phased by this course of events. "There is a failsafe emergency release mechanism designed for an internal control failure located on the back. Pulling it will eject the cockpit of the machine."

"So we just have to pull it then?" Asked Weiss, projecting speed glyphs under herself and the others as quickly as she could.

"This is correct, Ms. Schnee. Once again, it is fully within my capa-"

"Then we'll give you a hand! Weiss, let's slow that thing down," shouted Ruby, evading a shower of bullets and sliding next to her partner. "Ice Flower!"

Moments later large ice shards impacted on the joints of the mech, slowing its movement speed considerably. Ciel didn't waste a second, sprinting towards the enemy at a speed difficult for Jaune to even _see_. She moved from side to side with minimum effort, avoiding each projectile before vaulting over a punch from the machine's unfrozen left arm.

She landed in a crouch onto its metallic back, messing with the release mechanism while Roman tried desperately to shake her off. However, with an ear-piercing venting of air and grinding gears, the entire cockpit fell from the body and slumped onto the concrete below.

With the mobile battlesuit now dormant, a great silence fell over the area as the girls caught their breath.

"Damn… that was easier than expected," commented Yang, walking over to the cockpit along with the rest of the team. The top of said container was popped open, revealing a peeved-looking criminal. When said criminal saw there were four weapons trained on him, he coyly raised his hands and grinned.

"Tch, just when I was getting the hang of it too. Any chance we can talk things out, ladies?"

Before anyone could respond, a blinding light flooded the area. Jaune felt himself being pulled away while seemingly hundreds of men in Atlas military uniforms appeared and drew their weapons with loud clicks.

As the initial radiance dimmed, he was finally able to see that the light was coming from a large airship. The airship wasn't alone either, flanked by five other bullheads, all with guns trained on Torchwick. Jaune saw the criminal mutter _'fuck'_ underneath his breath while standing a bit straighter.

"Roman Torchwick," spoke Ciel, still standing on top of the mech. "For the crimes of grand theft, destruction of property, murder, terrorism, and treason, you are under arrest. I would advise you cooperate or lethal force will be used."

"Geez, you Atlas mooks cut straight to point," the man chuckled nervously. As Bullheads from Beacon arrived his bravado deteriorated completely, only to be resurrected when, as of from thin air, a girl in pink and white appeared before him.

"Neo, have I ever told you how much I love you?"

The girl, Neo apparently, didn't respond. In fact, the duo stopped moving entirely. After fifteen seconds without a response, Ciel looked at the soldier in blue. He nodded and in turn sent five men forward to apprehend the criminal for good. Guns stayed at the ready, and the tension in the air was palpable.

Then... just as it seemed like the criminal was cooperating... he exploded into glass-like shards, that then disappeared into the breeze.

It left everyone speechless. Most blinked to try and understand what just happened.

"Um yeah, what the fuck?!" Yang shouted from somewhere in the crowd.

/-/

The explanation for what exactly had occurred was a long and arduous journey through withheld information, veiled nonsequiturs, and at one point straight up lying. Thankfully for Jaune, he honestly could say he had no earthly idea where the stolen mech had come from, which was really what Ozpin and some guy called Ironwood wanted to know. That was all on Team RWBY.

"So... that is all you know, Mr. Arc?" Ozpin looked skeptical. Though Ozpin _always_ looked skeptical, so that was neither good or bad.

"Uh, yeah. I was just taking a stroll through Vale when I ran into Ruby and then she got a call from Blake about some robots or something. That's just about it."

 _Thank goodness we got our story straight on the way here._

Ozpin sighed and rubbed his eyes. Ms. Goodwitch took it from there. "If there is nothing else then you may leave, Mr. Arc. Please tell Team RWBY to come up next."

Jaune nodded and walked to the elevator. When the doors finally shut behind him Jaune let out a ragged breath and nearly fell to his knees. Being in that room wasn't good for his health. Though it wasn't like being out was much better at the moment. No doubt Pyrrha was losing her shit at the fact he hadn't shown up to train. Of course, he'd sent a message saying he wouldn't be able to before running off with Ruby but that wasn't much of an explanation.

He'd already prepared himself for a tongue lashing. Jaune had already decided that lying about what happened wasn't an option despite the fact it would lessen their worry. No more lies had been something he'd decided on even earlier than the new semester and it was a promise he'd keep to himself.

The doors to the elevator opened and he walked out, coming face to face with the anxious faces of his sister team. Ruby nearly pushed him over as she got right up in his face.

"What did you say?! What did they say?!"

"Ack, I didn't say anything! I didn't even know much, to begin with anyway. But no, I didn't say anything about the 'hunting terrorists' thing if that's what you're asking."

Blake, Yang, and Weiss each gave Ruby an incredulous stare. The heiress rubbed the temples of her head. "What happened to _not_ telling our friends about this."

"I'm sorry. Jaune brought up double standards and well…"

Seeing that the attention was off him Jaune slowly slipped out of Ruby's grasp and made his way past the group. "Oh, Ozpin wanted me to tell you to go see him. Have a good rest of the night."

Yang rolled her eyes but waved goodbye with the rest of team RWBY before dragging her sister into the elevator with the rest of the team. When the doors finally closed Jaune walked began walking towards his dorm only to round a corner and nearly run into the dark-skinned beauty from Atlas.

"Ciel?! Gosh, you nearly gave me a heart attack."

"That statement is pure hyperbole."

"I- uh... yeah, I guess you got me there." Jaune scratched the back of his head. "Um, were you waiting for me?"

"Yes. I simply wanted to thank you again for all your service today. Without you, I'm sure Penny would have been found without supervision and Atlas property wouldn't have been confiscated by the proper authorities. If you ever need something from me, please don't hesitate to ask."

Jaune could feel heat rising up from his neck towards his face. _No, stop it body! Cool head! I need a cool head!_

This internal struggle of the cold front from his head and the warm front from his neck meeting resulted in massive brainstorms that fried any cohesive thought that might have existed before this moment. Despite the girl's monotone voice and indifferent stare, it was clear she was grateful for his actions. The fact that a girl he was attracted to _didn't_ blow him off was such a departure from the norm this might as well have been an alternate reality.

"U-Uh... yeah," muttered Jaune, discovering his mouth was incredibly dry. "Thank you…"

She nodded curtly and began walking away. _Okay, didn't fuck that up-_

Jaune's body had the equivalent of a verbal muscle spasm that overrode logical thought. "Actually, I do have a request!"

Ciel turned around before she could reach the end of the hallway. "Oh? Then please state it."

 _No! Stop it, you moron! Dammit!_

Despite Jaune's higher level thinking's best effort, he kept vomiting out words. "I-I'd like to go on…"

 _Fuck me!_

"...a date."

The girl simply stared at him, the same cool stare she apparently never lost. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking. After five seconds of silence, Jaune simply resigned to his fate.

"Okay."

"I- wait, what?"

"I said okay. It is certainly within my ability to go on a 'date' with you. Do you have a time and place in mind?"

Considering Jaune clearly never thought he'd get this far ever, no, of course, he didn't have a time and place in mind. However, he knew that was probably the wrong answer.

"4:35 tomorrow at the courtyard," he spoke on autopilot.

"Excellent. I'll be on time. Goodbye, then."

She was already out of sight by the time Jaune said 'bye' back. He'd done it. He'd actually done it.

Now the only thing left to do was figure out what date entailed.

/-/

To say Ciel was tired was an understatement. Her schedule had been railroaded upon Penny's actions and never recovered. Then she'd been questioned thoroughly by Ironwood about what had happened. To her merit, she never actually lied either. Simply, reworking the truth in her favor.

It had helped greatly that the man seemed far prouder than angry at the very onset. He saw her actions to capture Torchwick as 'proactive' and a calculated plan to reveal their 'ace.' Apparently, now that it was clear that Torchwick and whoever he was working with possessed a teleporter and or illusionist, countermeasures could be taken.

If Ciel had been a full member of the military she might have even gotten promoted.

With that taken care of, her thoughts were filled with Jaune. Him asking her on a date was at the very least unexpected. Not altogether unwelcomed, just unexpected. It certainly benefited her agenda of getting information on each head competitor. And on a slightly more superficial note, Jaune had proven to be a useful person. Despite what most would think, this wouldn't be her first date. As she'd occasionally frequent a few soirees because of her Grandfather's status as a Lieutenant General, Ciel would get quite a few date offers from suitors. Most she turned down, but a few she accepted just on the principle that she wanted to understand why others enjoyed such things.

Needless to say, she still didn't understand and had given up on the whole endeavor.

"Honeydew," spoke Ciel, turning to Jenny, who was sitting on the bed next to hers. Jenny looked up from a textbook and removed her headphones. Bender also perked up a bit from his notes to listen.

"What's up?"

"I've accepted a date invitation for tomorrow. Please look up the proper Valean etiquette for me."

Jenny's eyebrows rocketed through the ceiling. Bender looked as if a ghost passed through his body.

* * *

 **A/N:** And another chapter is done. Before anyone asks, no, Ruby doesn't know about Penny being a robot for now. Also, just want to thank everyone who commented on the last chapter. It really boosted my motivation to finish this as quick as possible. So thank you.

Now on to the announcement. If you've read any of my other stories you know I love to write multiple prospectives in each chapter. However, seeing that I've decided to keep the POVs to only Jaune and Ciel for the main story, I will now be having bonus scenes of other characters at the end of chapters. I was going to call the Omakes but seeing as they are technically canon, it didn't seem appropriate.

* * *

Bonus Scene: Pyrrha's Bold Attempt

Weiss no longer held the reins to Jaune's heart. It was something that Pyrrha had long since used as an excuse for not making a move on the blonde haired boy. Now, however, there was nothing but her own insecurity doing that.

With nowhere else to turn, she sought advice from the most confident, open, lovely girl she knew.

"Nora, I'm just going to come out and say it. You are one of my best friends. These past few months, I feel like we really bonded. Even though I don't say much. I mean to be perfectly honest, I realize I'm quite quiet and like to keep my thoughts to myself, thus I don't know much about you. But darn it - I consider you the sister I never had!"

Nora smiled from her position on the bed. "Same sister!"

Pyrrha chuckled nervously. "Huh, yeah. Which is why I wanted your advice on... boys…"

"Boys, huh?"

"Yes, it's just I don't know... how to... boys. Er, I guess what I'm asking is, how did you and Ren…?"

Nora's eyes widened a bit before nervously smiling. "Oooh, me and Renny? Pyrrha, you know we're not like... together together, right?"

Pyrrha placed a hand over her mouth before blushing furiously. "Oh, I'm so sorry for assuming! It's j-just... well…"

"It's fine, Pyrrha," assured Ren from the doorway. Pyrrha felt like disappearing.

"Ren, I said this is girl talk, shoo," shouted Nora. Ren sighed before closing the door once more. Nora turned back to her friend and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Pyrrha, now be honest. This is about Jaune isn't it?"

The champion couldn't even look up, instead, responding with a slow nod. Nora let out a slight huff. "Well, that at least makes things easier."

"W-What do you mean?"

The seasoned pro chuckled and shook her head. "Oh Pyrrha, you sweet innocent girl. You have the benefit of actually living with your crush. Show a bit more skin around the room, 'accidentally' let him walk in the while you're changing, while you spar, rub up against him a bit, hell, eat a banana in front of the guy. By the time the dance rolls around, I guarantee his balls will be bluer than the sky!"

By the end of the "advice", Pyrrha's embarrassment had solidified so densely that she threatened to collapse into a black hole of absolute mortification. "I couldn't possibly do that!"

Nora rubbed her chin in thought. "Hmm, true. Those are some rather advanced techniques for a beginner such as yourself. How about we start _small_."

Pyrrha looked up and wiped away some of her tears, feeling more hopeful with the change of pace. "S-Start... small?"

Nora grinned. "Yeah. I think I know what would be perfect for you. It's a bit elementary but it's a start."

/-/

 _Okay, you can do this! You can do this!_

Pyrrha looked over at Jaune. The diligent leader was working hard on his notes, a nice change from the earlier semester where he struggled to pay attention. She almost hated to interrupt him. _No, no more excuses Pyrrha._

Finally, an opportunity came when Jaune asked a great question to Professor Oobleck. She quickly scribbled out a message on a piece of paper commending him on his improvement and slid it to him. Already she could feel her body heating up.

 _/Thanks Pyr, means a lot coming from an overachiever like you. :)/_

Was... was he flirting? No... he always complimented her as a friend. Though with Weiss out of the picture who knows if he was maybe trying to compliment her in a non-platonic way. She decided to put it to the test.

 _Nora, give me strength._

With bated breath and burning self-awareness, she wrote down her response. Her hands shook as she wrote down the candid 'XOXO' at the end of the message. Hugs and Kisses. _Kisses._ She could feel her face becoming flush just by staring at what she wrote. She nearly attempted to erase the message.

 _What will Jaune think? What if he hates me now for being too forward?! I can't believe I-_

Then she saw Jaune's response.

/ _Right back at you. XOXO/_

Her brain steamed itself and all function shut down. This was it. Flirting. She was finally flirting. It was simply too much. Placing a hand on her mouth to hold in the whines of excitement, she quickly exited the room and walked to the bathroom where she finally exploded into giggles and squeals.

"Eeeeeee! He finally warming up to meeeee!"

Looking at herself in the mirror only caused her to chuckle more at her own elation. She eventually attempted to control her breathing lest she tore her face from smiling. It was only when Pyrrha could hear the sounds of running water beside her that she came out of her own little world.

"Oh, I didn't see you there. Sorry about... that."

The dark skinned girl in Atlas gray barely spared her a look. "You didn't slight me. It's clear something very good has happened to you."

Pyrrha became goofy again, trying to fix her hair where it had gotten wild. "Is it really that obvious?"

"Quite."

"Well, it's just I think the boy I've been pining over for a semester finally seems to be showing interest. You're very pretty though, I'm sure you've never had that problem."

The girl applied some lip balm and checked her hair before responding. Each action seemed very calculated and meticulous. "I've never been interested in romance. It surprises me that someone such as yourself would have trouble getting a males attention, however. Considering your status."

 _Oh, she must have recognized me._

"Well, you'd be surprised honestly. Being the 'Invincible Girl' can be rather intimidating to others. Then those who do approach often only do it for the status... but not him. He had never even heard of me before when we first met and finding out changed nothing. He's _great._ "

The Atlas student straightened her outfit. "Well, I hope it ends well for you."

Pyrrha smiled. "Thank you. I don't think I ever got your name?"

For the first time in the interaction, the girl turned to fully regard Pyrrha. "Ciel. Ciel Soleil."

"Pyrrha Nikos. Though I'm sure you were aware."

The two shook hands. Ciel's grip was surprisingly strong. "It's been a pleasure."

Then Ciel made her exit.

 _Huh, she was very friendly._

Finally feeling less flustered, Pyrrha walked out of the bathroom as well and headed back to class.

* * *

 **A/N:** Huh, as I was writing this I almost started rooting for Pyrrha. Weird.


	3. A Repaid Favor

_Chapter 3: A Repaid Favor_

 _Beta: ShadowReaper133_

 _Story Beta: Sir Snuffles the Stalwart_

 ** _A/N: Thank you to Exvnir for letting me use his amazing art for my new title cover._**

* * *

Jaune had been exhausted when he entered his dorm room, just wanting to take a shower and get to bed as quick as possible. His clear fatigue was probably the only thing that pacified Pyrrha's bombardment of questions until the next day. The resulting sleep had been deep and glorious but like all things, it came to an end as the new day emerged.

And his team deserved answers.

"So, you want to know why I missed training. Heh, funny story really…" spoke Jaune, sitting cross-legged on his bed. "So I was just kind of walking to the training rooms like ya do. Wanted to get warmed up a little for our training session last night, Pyr. Heh, I got a tad bit distracted though."

His partner didn't look impressed. "Jaune, that's not an explanation. I'm fully aware you got distracted."

The fact he was sitting and she was standing over him did nothing for his confidence. Turning to his left, he sought Ren for support. His pink eyed brother in arms nodded slightly in encouragement and amazingly his heartbeat slowed and the nervousness dulled considerably.

 _Wow. Is this the power of friendship?_

Jaune turned back around to Pyrrha, now able to speak properly. "Well, Pyrrha, I ran into an Atlas girl that is partnered with Ruby's friend, so I decided to start a conversation. Be friendly and stuff. However, her partner had gone missing so I volunteered to help, seeing as she is new to Vale. Turns out she was with Ruby! However, then Ruby got a message from Blake saying that they were getting chased by a giant mech. I decided to help her with that along with the Atlas student. Long story short, we defeated the terrorist but they got away. _Then_ I had to give a report to Ozpin."

The boy took a breath after he finished speaking. He had left a lot out of what actually happened, but the details were of little importance. Most of it would have just made Pyrrha worry anyway.

"Well… since you were just trying to be helpful I guess that's okay. I can also understand that you didn't have time to give me details last night."

"Umm, excuse me? Fighting a terrorist decked out in super mech gear? Really? I'm the only one who wants more details on that?" Nora exclaimed, looking from side to side at her teammates. Jaune scratched the back of his head. _Should have known that explanation wouldn't pacify Nora._

"Honestly, that's just about as much as I know too. Roman Torchwick was the one piloting it and for some reason, he was chasing Blake and Sun through the streets. When Ruby went to help I came along, despite not being much help. The thing was like ten feet tall, had laser targeting machine guns, missile launchers, and super strong hydraulics. And you should have seen Team RWBY! They were doing gymnastics or something to avoid getting hit and combining semblances. It honestly gave me a few ideas for stuff we could try."

After he finished speaking, everyone in the room stayed silent. The expressions ranged from Pyrrha looking visibly conflicted, Nora looking disappointed at having missed something so amazing, and Ren being indifferent to everything just said.

"Yep, so that's basically what happened. Hehe… Sorry I missed training Pyrrha."

His partner finally smiled a little. "Well, I can't be angry over you just trying to help someone. Although you can make up for it by having an extra long training session after class today."

Jaune nearly nodded before grimacing in unease. "Uh... about that. I'll be busy tomorrow after class."

This got everyone's attention. The team leader didn't understand why he was getting nervous about telling them the good news. They were his friends, so of course, they'd be happy for him.

"Ha, well you know about that Atlas girl I helped? Well, I asked her out and she said yes. Great right?"

Silence prevailed in the room. Pyrrha's smile got bigger but there seemed to be something off about it that Jaune couldn't put his finger on. Nora coughed into her fist and looked to Pyrrha while Ren kept the same expression whilst sending power of friendship vibes to calm Jaune's nerves.

"Jaune," spoke Pyrrha finally. "Why would you ask a girl on a date you just met? Do you even know anything about her?"

"Well… She's a team leader, really well spoken, from Atlas, seems to care a lot for her partner, appears to be really strong, maybe more proper than Weiss…"

Pyrrha rubbed her forehead in what looked to be clear frustration. _She must be worried about me again, like with Weiss._ "Look Pyr, I know you're probably just worried I'm jumping into something too fast like I did with Weiss and I'll end up getting hurt, but I promise that's not the case this time. Also, a dates purpose is to allow two people who might not know each other that much to get to know each other better, right?"

"Jaune it's just… Nora, help me out," spoke Pyrrha to the orange haired girl. Why she was so desperate to put him off from this date was confusing, to say the least. Shouldn't his team be happy? The only person being bro about this was Ren. Which wasn't _all_ that surprising he guessed.

"She right Jaune! This girl could be an... Atlas spy sent to gain intel on you! Or worse!"

Pyrrha facepalmed at the ridiculous answer. "Nora that's crazy. What valuable information could he possibly have anyway?"

"Well… maybe not that," muttered Nora. "But, she might be some kind of former White Fang member on the run from an assorted and complex life of betrayal!

"Nora I don't think-"

"And we all know how techno Atlas is. She could secretly be an Aura producing robot, here at Beacon as a test run!"

"Nor-"

Nora grasped at her face in fear as she continued. "Or worse yet… she might actually be 25 and has come to infiltrate the school under the direction of some eldritch demon!"

 _Most of those are too ridiculous to even be real._

Almost as if recognizing the imbalance of stupidity in the room, Ren spoke up next and as usual, he was the voice of reason. "Jaune, I don't think any of us are opposed to you dating entirely." At that, he paused before continuing. "However, what I believe is Pyrrha's main concern is that you've only just gotten over Weiss and now you're going on a date with an Atlas girl you just met. You can imagine the picture it paints."

"Right… I guess I _can_ see how that would look. Look, this isn't about Weiss and it's not just me rebounding to someone else to… I don't know, 'fill a void.' It was a just a spur of the moment kind of thing. But there's no harm in it right?"

Jaune looked at Ren, who seemed to be his only support at the moment. "Right?"

The boy looked like he wanted to say more but instead simply let out a small sigh. "You aren't wrong. You have the right to date whoever you choose." Ren spoke with his characteristic deliberateness, though it seemed he was focusing on the rest on the team rather than Jaune himself. The leader turned back to his partner. She still looked conflicted, leaving Jaune feeling a bit sorry.

"Hey listen Pyr, if it really upsets you then-"

"No," Pyrrha interrupted, cutting him off before giving a big smile. "You have a good time Jaune. I was just worried about my partner is all. It's getting a bit late in the morning as well, so we'd better get a move on to breakfast. Right, everyone?"

 _Whew, guess it really was just nervousness for my well being. Heh, she's more a sister than my sisters, hehe._

Jaune stood up from the hot seat, finally not under teammate interrogation. "Right! Let's move out team."

/-/

Breakfast wasn't all that eventful. Or rather it wasn't until Nora dropped the info Jaune was going on a date. The expressions of team RWBY should have hurt Jaune's feelings by how shocked they were.

"Y-You? Really!?" Ruby was beside herself in excitement. So much so that the girl zipped around the table separating them and tackled the blond from his seat in a flurry of rose petals. "I'm so proud of you!"

 _See, now this is the type of response I expected._

"Dang lover boy, you don't waste time. Who is the lucky gal... or guy. I know desperate times might call for desperate meas-"

"It's not a guy," Jaune muttered, still in the process of hugging Ruby. "It's the Atlas girl that helped you defeat the giant mech robot thing."

Ruby's already freakishly tight grip around his neck increased to vice levels. "You're going to be dating _Ciel._ Penny's partner!? That means I'll definitely have more time to hang out with her! Thank you, Jaune!"

Jaune couldn't respond, as the small arms around his neck had cut off circulation. Though no one seemed to notice his plight. Weiss was the next to respond to the news. "Well, I'm glad you were able to find someone who gave you a chance."

Everyone at the table paused for a moment at the words, slightly stunned. Jaune, the only person not stunned, took the moment to slip from his friends embrace. "Thanks, Weiss."

The heiress nodded before noticing that everyone else was staring at her. "What?"

"I think we're all still getting used to that," Blake spoke without looking up from her scroll.

"Getting used to what?"

Yang raised an eyebrow. "Treating Jaune like he's a member of the same species, maybe."

Weiss huffed, folding her arms. "I wasn't nearly that bad."

"Sure, sure. Anyway, back to the big news. So short sweet and rolls off the tongue, where you taking her?" Yang asked, leaning in closer. Ruby, who had slid into the seat next to Jaune's also leaned in closer, despite nearly being on top of him already.

"Yeah Jaune, you have a place in mind?"

Jaune chuckled and rubbed his neck. "Heh, not really. Actually, I was hoping to ask one of you guys for a suggestion since I don't know a whole lot about dating."

Out of the corner of his eye, Jaune could see that Pyrrha hadn't eaten much. It seemed like she was still upset from this morning. Ren and Nora had their appetites but still seemed more quiet than usual. He'd have thought Nora would be talking as much as Yang about ideas but she didn't. He'd have to figure out what was up later.

"Well, Jaune my boy, you've come to the right gal," Yang pointed a thumb at herself. "I don't like to brag but I'm something of an expert when it comes to the female heart."

"Oh... uh, I didn't actually know you were gay, Yang. I mean I'm not judging and I guess there were signals along the way..."

Ruby and Weiss started snickering as a blush slowly crept up Yang's face and the girl sputtered for a response. "T-That's not what I meant! And what do you mean signals?"

Weiss butted into the conversation before the boy could answer, which probably saved him anyway. "Jaune, this girl is from Atlas, correct? And quite the connected one at that judging by the 'help' she was able to call in."

"Yeah, I guess so. You have a suggestion, Weiss?"

She almost looked indignant at the question. "Of course, I have a suggestion and more importantly, the _right_ suggestion. I know what the high society dating scene is like, so I'll tell you what to do to really make an impression…"

/-/

"I still can't believe it. Can you believe it? I know I can't believe it!"

Bender had been going on and on since last night and into the morning and Ciel honestly couldn't understand her teammate's over-enthusiasm at her going on a date with Jaune. It was simply in service of the mission if looked at from an objective standpoint. Not to mention a favor she owed.

"I do not understand, why is friend Ciel's decision so out of place?" Penny asked, looking to Jenny and Bender before looking at Ciel herself. Having Penny around had been the second shock of the day, General Ironwood having left his niece in Ciel's care for the school day and asked the military girl to report back how it went.

"Well Ms. Polentina, if you must know, Mr. Rojo is simply confused as is his default state," replied Ciel. Bender muttered an 'ouch' at her words but otherwise went ignored.

"He believes I am pursuing an outing with Mr. Arc with the intent of starting an emotion-based relationship. This would be out of character for me, thus his surprise and shock. Though, that this surprise still prevails even after explanation leads me to believe he is without hope."

Bender leaned back in his chair, shaking his head at her words with a smug smile. "Oh don't get me wrong, I can hear you perfectly. That's _never_ a problem, trust. All I'm saying is that you know for a fact that the information you crave could be obtained in many other ways. Admit it, you want this, Ms. Soleil!" accused the boy, pointing dramatically at his leader and nearly falling backward.

Thankfully Jenny was there to reign in her partner. Something that had become a routine job for the girl. "Bender, you have to remember that _Jaune_ was the one to ask Ciel. If she declined, that could have put a strain on the budding relationship and make it harder to obtain information… not to mention she's doing this as a favor. Also, lower your voice, we're in the library, silly."

"Mmf," muttered the boy under his breath but otherwise he stayed quite now. It seemed miracles did exist mused Ciel _._ Jenny patted her partner on the shoulder before looking to Penny.

"So Penny, how are you enjoying being in class? Is it everything you thought it would be?"

"It was… how you described," spoke the red-head, attempting to find the right words. Jenny chuckled.

"So a lot of sitting down doing nothing while hearing information we already know, right? Less than sensational?"

"Yes! That's exactly the feeling."

Bender shook his head. "Yeah, that could just about sum up Beacon. Never thought I'd see a school where even the fights are boring as hell."

"Language," reprimanded Ciel. The last thing she needed was Penny picking up foul language on her watch. Whether through fear of her or Ironwood, Bender sighed but ultimately complied.

" _Anyway,_ you'll see today Penny. You can predict the winner to each matchup in this class after just one look. Hel- I mean heck, I can usually even guess how it plays out."

Jenny butted in, attempting her signature positive spin on things. "I suppose he's not wrong, especially when team RWBY or JNPR fight so far."

"Yeah… Oh, speak of the devil," he muttered before getting elbowed in the side by Jenny to shut him up. Ciel turned around to see team RWBY and two other males walking towards them. True to her words, Ciel had messaged Ruby that Penny was free at the moment, so it was no surprise that she and her team showed up, sans the Belladonna girl.

"Hello Ciel, hello Penny," Ruby announced, pulling up a chair beside her friend. "Hello… others."

"Hello, friend Ruby." Penny and the girl embraced, while the others pulled up seats. Yang Xiao-Long took up a seat closest to Ciel, Weiss Schnee sat closest to Jenny, while the two unidentified boys sat next to Bender. One a blond monkey faunus and the other a blue haired boy of similar age. She'd have to put names to these unknown faces at some point. Preferably sooner rather than later.

Penny and Ruby began chatting immediately and while Ciel usually would have listened in, she was understandably distracted by Xiao-Long staring at her intently. "May I help you?"

"Hm? Oh, don't mind me, I'm just trying to get a better look at the girl who accepted Vomit Boy's date invitation."

"Vomit Boy?"

"Don't listen to her," Weiss interjected. "She hit her head as a child. Ciel, correct? I would like to thank you for your assistance last night. Your presence certainly made things go smoother."

"It was no problem at all Ms. Schnee. I would be remiss to let Atlas property be used for criminal purposes."

"I completely agree. Though I must ask, how were you aware of the emergency escape latch?"

Ciel's eyes narrowed slightly. Weiss Schnee was very perceptive it seemed, though she expected nothing less from the sister of Winter Schnee. Out of her peripherals, she saw Jenny and Bender speaking to the monkey Faunus and blue haired boy.

"Well, as the top student in both the first and second years, I've had the privilege of working closely with the Headmaster and Winter Schnee."

"Ooooh, that's how you were able to call in the big guns last night," spoke Yang, putting the puzzle together despite not having all the pieces. As expected, she also managed to derail Weiss' train of thought with the drop of a name.

"Wi-Winter Schnee? My sister?"

This bit of information caught Ruby's attention. "Whoa Weiss, you have a sister?!"

 _It would seem they communicate less than my team does._

"Yes, you dolt. How could you not have known that?"

"Well, you never mentioned it…"

"I'm positive I did. You simply weren't listening as usual."

A mini argument broke out between the partners over who was the forgetful one. Ciel had simply expected to answer questions about her superior but this worked even better. Though it seemed Yang was still interested in her.

"So, you mentioned you're the strongest in two grade levels~"

"I said top of the class. Those two things are quite different. However if you are asking then yes, I am at the top of specifically combat class as well."

"Win-loss record?" The blond girl asked, staring expectantly. _It does no harm to answer honestly I suppose._

"I've never lost before."

Yang's eyes widened. "Wow, for real?"

"Not to a peer, no."

Ciel never understood the fascination with a 'perfect record' in combat class. Bender had also had a perfect win-loss record when they first met and was even a tournament winner in Atlas. Though it was that very thing that made him easy to defeat during their first spar. Now meeting a seasoned Huntsman with a perfect win record, that was impressive.

"So you're like the Atlas version of Pyrrha Nikos then. Oh, you both should fight!"

That was another thing that puzzled Ciel, mostly because it contradicted the first thought. While everyone coveted the perfect record, they were so ready to see someone lose it as well, usually by pining two undefeated fighters together. Although maybe that was an entirely different obsession focused on finding the "best." The best or nothing, as some had said. No-one remembered the name of the second place winner.

"If that's what she wishes, then fine. However, I don't plan to seek out that challenge."

 _Though it would certainly help my mission._

"Oooo, afraid to lose your perfect record?" Yang egged on, smiling mischievously. Ciel raised an eyebrow.

"Not in the least. I've never cared about such an arbitrary system of 'undefeated' anyway. Though I take it that sort of thing interests you?" Ciel asked, deciding now was as good a time as any to attempt to get more information. From the intel Bender had picked up, Yang was third in combat class.

"You could say that I suppose. Hey, how about me and you go at it during combat class," asked Yang with a wink.

"I'm positive the instructor wouldn't appreciate that." _Honestly, to propose such a thing on the same day I am to go on a date with her fellow classmate, in a crowded classroom no less. Beacon is a haven for sin._

"Wha- that's not what I-"

"Yang, please stop trying to get Ciel to bat for your team," piped up Weiss, who was apparently done correcting her partner. This confirmed the suspicion that Yang was indeed of the gay variety. It wasn't exactly relevant information but any intel was good intel she supposed.

While Yang sputtered weak denials, Weiss began speaking with her again with barely withheld enthusiasm. "So, tell me more about Winter."

/-/

Jaune's arm felt like it might shatter when his shield crashed into his partners bronze one. While it was true she had said now that he beat Cardin she wouldn't go easy him, he didn't remember it being this rough. She was hitting him like this was a tournament.

It felt a bit exhilarating.

He attempted to gain ground but she matched his every step with one of her own. Jaune swung in a horizontal arc but received the full force of her javelin as a result in the center of his chest. Crocea Mors clattered to the ground and he was thrown back a few meters, even being ejected from the stage. He would have collided with bleachers or metal flooring had it not been for Nora catching his ragdolled body.

 _Being caught by short redheads seems to be becoming a trend._

"Th-Thanks Nora."

"Not a problem, fearless leader," Nora spoke with a smile, carrying Jaune bridal style to the bench to rest. Since it was during their break instead of after classes, Jaune had decided to make up his missed day of training by spending the free period in the training rooms with his team. The change of location was nice, though Pyrrha certainly was harsher today. As a testament to that, Jaune was barely able to draw air into his lungs without coughing from that last hit.

"Are you always this tough on him?" Ren asked Pyrrha, who was walking off the stage. All day she'd had a look he couldn't place. Whatever it was seemed to only disappear in the ring.

"No… though Jaune asked me to be a bit harder on him! Right Jaune?"

Ye-Ye-Yeah," he eventually wheezed out. "Let's take five. Or at least that's what I'll do."

"Well, I'm _bored_ watching you two fight. How about it Pyrrha, you still got some in the tank for Nora?"

For the first time today Pyrrha smile actually reached her eyes. "Of course, Nora."

The two went up and began doing some sparing, leaving Jaune to catch his breath beside Ren, who had taken the seat beside him. Figuring this was as good a time as any, Jaune decided to ask his fellow male teammate about Pyrrha's odd behavior. "Hey, Ren. Do you think Pyrrha is upset that I'm going on a date?"

Ren's eyes widened in disbelief. "I… how did you come to that conclusion?"

"Yeah, I know it seems sort of silly but she's been acting weird since I first told her that I'd be going out with Ciel. I think I know why too."

"Jaune, I never thought that you'd final-"

"She thinks I'm going to neglect my training and duties as a leader. _That's_ why she's being so hard on me today. With all the improvement I've made recently I'm worried about going back to my old habits as well."

Ren was silent.

"Damnit you're right Ren, I better go promise her that no matter what, I'll put this team first! Thanks for the pep talk, dude. Did I ever tell you you're like the brother I never had?"

"I don't believe so," sighed out the boy, running a hand through his hair. Jaune grinned and put his arm around his friend.

"Well, you are."

"And I you." Ren patted the hand resting on his shoulder. "How about you and I spar a bit Jaune? I'm worried about what might happen if Pyrrha and you go at it again.''

"Sure." Jaune hoisted himself up, feeling refreshed from his momentary rest. "Let's do it."

/-/

The only class which team SPHR had with team RWBY and JNPR was combat class, thus when it was time to head there, they went together. Weiss and Ruby alike insisted they sit together as well. Though Ciel would really rather not, she couldn't deny that her team had managed to make a good first impression.

"So, tell me again about Winter's teaching methods," Weiss hadn't stopped talking for a single moment about her sister.

"Ms. Schnee, perhaps we should continue this conversation at a later date. Class is about to start after all."

"Oh, yes, of course. You're right, we may discuss this later." As Weiss spoke, she withdrew her scroll and gave it to Ciel. "Put your number in so that we can talk more later."

Ciel could see Bender holding in a chuckle at her plight. It would seem by the end of this she would have quite the social life. Penny and Jenny hit it off with the rest of team RWBY sans Belladonna, while Bender had managed to chat with Sun Wukong and Neptune Vasilias, the two mysterious boys she had finally identified.

Ciel put in her number and handed the scroll back to Weiss Schnee before getting nudged in the shoulder by Yang. "Hey, here comes your lover boy."

Turning around, she saw that the members of Team JNPR had made it just in time and were coming to sit with their sister team. Upon seeing her, Jaune smiled and waved, walking a bit faster before plopping down on the seat beside her after Yang moved for him while also giving Ciel a wink.

"Um... hi," Jaune nervously waved, his face even seemed to get redder.

"Hello, Mr. Arc."

The rest of team JNPR took a seat as well, most notably Pyrrha Nikos taking a seat next to her partner. Pyrrha smiled at her, though something about it seemed just a bit off. "Hello, Ciel, it's nice to meet you again."

"The pleasure is all mine."

A few moments of silence past between them before Glynda's voice called to the class. "Good afternoon class. We have a lot of students to get through today, so we'll start immediately. Lie Ren. Yang Xiao-Long. Please come down."

Not a moment later Yang jumped from her seat in pure joy. "YES! Fuck yes! Payback time you son of a bitc-"

"Ms. Xiao-Long, please refrain from cursing like a sailor. In fact, please see me after class."

Yang lowered her head at the reprimand, but even then she glared at Ren as if it was his fault. _Interesting, it would seem there is dissent in the two teams after all._ To the boy's credit, however, it seemed the anger was one-sided, for he didn't give any pause to her outburst, instead, choosing to quietly walk down the stairs.

"What was that all about?" Bender asked, who was slouching just a bit too much for Ciel's preference.

Ruby looked like she was about to answer, but before she could, Blake Belladonna finally appeared for class, sitting down and clearly attempting to avoid being seen by the teacher. Honestly, Beacon students really had no discipline.

"Nice of you to join us, Blake," Weiss remarked. "Do tell what was so important you couldn't get to class on time?"

The Faunus rubbed her eyes. "Just, research is all. I lost track of time."

"We messaged you 7 times."

"I _lost track of time."_

At the edge in her, Weiss huffed slightly, while the leader of team RWBY who had been sitting with Jenny and Penny turned around. "Blake?"

The Belladonna girl took a second to breathe before responding again. "Sorry about that." She sat down near Weiss, possibly as a way to show remorse for her words. Ciel could never really tell with people her age.

Jaune leaned in and whispered, "I swear it isn't usually this weird."

Somehow Ciel doubted that.

/-/

Jaune was mentally slapping himself in the face at the moment. Why did team RWBY have to be composed of such weirdos all of a sudden? What if Ciel didn't want to hang with them anymore because of it? Though to her credit, she didn't seem very bothered at all.

 _Actually, now that I think about it, the fact they were already sitting her means her team must have hit it off with Ruby's. Yeah… that makes more sense._

So preoccupied with his nervous thoughts, Jaune didn't even remember to pay attention to Ren's fight, only looking up when it was called by Glynda.

"The match is over. Congratulations on your win, Lie Ren."

 _Oh cool, Ren actually beat Yang!_

Ren was standing off to the side, collecting his composure at was probably a really hard fought fight. Shame he missed it. Interestingly, his hair seemed to have been down because he was putting it back up. Yang was on her knees, looking dazed but otherwise okay.

"Ms. Xiao-Long are you okay?" Ms. Goodwitch asked, who looked a bit concerned.

"I-I-I'm fine Ms. Goodwitch."

The teacher nodded. "Well, Ms. Xiao-Long, as you can see, your semblance, while impressive won't always save you from an opponent with enough resolve to face you head on."

Yang nodded. "As for you Lie Ren, excellent job in the face of an overwhelming enemy. You stayed calm and relied on the proper use of timing. I honestly have little to critique on."

"Thank you, Ms. Goodwitch."

"You are dismissed."

Ren came back up the bleachers and sat down next to Nora again, the same neutral expression he always wore still present, Yang trailing close behind.

"Hey, good job Ren! Beating Yang isn't easy." The last time Jaune had sparred with Yang, he'd seen his life flash before his eyes.

"Jaune's correct, that was quite the display you put on," Pyrrha agreed, patting her teammate on the back. Nora simply wore a content smile, as if this outcome was assured before it started. Yang also made her way back to her seat, looking oddly okay with her loss. Ruby attempted to comfort her sister, though it didn't seem necessary.

 _Huh, I don't know why I assumed she'd be a sore loser._

"Emerald Sustrai and… Ciel Soliel. You two will be fighting next."

Ciel perked up beside him before standing and straightening out her watch.

"Good luck," Jaune spoke. She turned to him and nodded before heading down towards the platform. She got a few words of encouragement from team RWBY as well.

"Don't kill her!" Bender yelled with a grin.

/-/

Ciel sighed a little at having been called down. Fighting was something she was good at, something she strived to be perfect in actually. However, this didn't mean she particularly enjoyed it either. Like most things, it simply was another task to complete. Upon stepping onto the stage, she checked her watch and decided to make this quick.

"Are you both aware of the rules, or do I need to explain them once more?" Ms. Goodwitch asked. It was a reasonable question considering the rules of friendly sparring varied from school to school. She had all of them memorized of course.

"It won't be necessary for me," spoke Ciel, looking at the dark skin girl before her. The grin on her opponent's face suggested she wasn't taking this seriously. That suited Ciel just fine. This Emerald Sustrai seemed to have two twin pistols with bayonets attached at the barrel. No doubt mecha-shift. Just going off what she could see, Ciel would say Emerald was primarily a mid-range fighter.

Unlike her most of her peers, Ciel didn't like mecha-shift all that much. She only had a simple 13-centimeter knife attached to her leg. While it was microscopically sharp, it was still just a knife. High on her hip, and hidden by her skirt, was a pistol she rarely ever used. And for her primary weapon, she had her watch.

"I know the rules as well," replied Emerald. Ms. Goodwitch nodded and walked off the stage before giving the go-ahead to start the fight.

Ciel toiled with the idea of activating her semblance but dismissed it. There was no real reason yet and her passive cognition was usually enough. Ciel waited for the perfect time to attack, taking in as much information as possible. _1, 2, 3, 4, 5-_

Emerald's left shoulder twitched at the same time her jaw unhinged slightly and her eyelids began to lower, probably to blink. Ciel shot forward with as much speed as possible closing the distance between them by the time Emerald's eyelids were rising after shutting, just before the girl could speak whatever she was about to say, and approximately one and a half seconds before the girl could finish reaching for her left holster.

Upon realizing what was happening, Ciel noticed the all of the girl's muscles tense, a sign she wasn't sure how to proceed. Unlike Ciel, she couldn't be positive what action would take the least amount of time, so instead, she hesitated. Not one to show mercy, the Atlas student hit the Mistral student as hard as possible in the sternum with her right fist.

After making contact, Ciel activated her aura, something that would have caused more damage on its own. However, this also activated the small spinning gravity Dust crystal in her watch, amplifying her hit as well. It was a fairly well-known fact that if a gravity Dust crystal was spinning its area of effect went up, creating a sort of mini gravity field. This resulted in an opponent being drawn towards her fist as it came down or adversely, pushed away from her fist to create greater pressure when her fist connected anyway. The best part being that if used correctly, usually no-one was the wiser, simply believing Ciel was far stronger than she actually was. Or in some cases incorrectly assuming what her semblance was.

Putting her amped weight behind it, Ciel followed through with the punch and sent her combatant to the metal floor so hard she bounced, successfully knocking the wind and possibly the sense out of her. Not giving her a chance to recover, Ciel was already digging a knee in her stomach before the girl could take a proper breath.

As a preemptive precaution, she grabbed Emerald's left wrist and twisted it painfully in an awkward position so she wouldn't reach for a possible weapon. In that same time, she had begun striking the girl in the dead center of her face with her amped right fist. After five solid hits, Ciel began reaching to disable Emerald's right arm so it wouldn't cause any trouble.

"Ms. Soleil that's enough!"

Ciel halted her advancement immediately at the sound of Ms. Goodwitch's voice. _Oh, the match must be over._ She stood up, careful not to press down on the Haven student, who Ciel now realized was groaning painfully. Looking at the board, Ciel saw that Emerald was in the lower red. It would seem the girl didn't have much in the way of aura storage.

With the fight over, Ciel now noticed that the room was eerily silent. The Haven girl's teammates had come to her side along with Ms. Goodwitch. Blankly, she watched as Emerald was carried off by her teammates. With them off the stage, the teacher regarded Ciel again, who was waiting patiently to be dismissed.

"Am I dismissed, madame?"

For a moment a look passed over the instructor's face that couldn't be categorized. Though it was gone a moment later. "You're dismissed."

/-/

Silence prevailed in the classroom in the moments after the "fight" ended. Silence which was broken by a low whistle let out by Yang. "Damn, and here I was worried she wouldn't be able to back up the big talk in the library. Although if that's Atlas' style I can see why old soft-hearted Weiss left."

"She was almost as fast as Ruby," spoke Blake, who until now had been slyly looking down at her scroll. The Faunus looked impressed, though also a bit wary, which Jaune could relate to. Weiss didn't look so surprised as the rest of the group.

"I'd expect nothing less from someone who works closely with my sister."

"Her expression never even changed," muttered Ruby. "Is that normal?"

"Partner Ciel doesn't enjoy combat from what I've gathered," replied Penny. "She doesn't find it challenging either."

"Well, that's comforting," Jaune laughed, trying to lighten the mood a bit. If he was being honest with himself, Jaune was more impressed than anything. A little nervous too, but that was nothing new. "What did you mean by big talk though, Yang?"

"Hm? Ciel told me she was undefeated, so I was excited to maybe get a fight in with her. Now I'm not so sure," She answered with a laugh. She was probably joking but Jaune wouldn't blame her if she wasn't.

"What's the point if she doesn't enjoy it?" Nora muttered, pouting a bit.

"Her efficiency is admirable. Very different from what is usually displayed here," commented Ren. Jaune turned to his partner to see what she had to say about it. _She probably excited at having another undefeated girl around._

She looked... conflicted. However, before he could say anything Ciel appeared before them again, taking her seat beside him.

"Hey, nice job. She never stood a chance."

"Thank you. I find teachers appreciate a quick match to move class along," Ciel replied, adjusting her watch.

"Very impressive, you must train quite a bit," Pyrrha spoke quietly, almost to herself more than to anyone else.

Ciel turned to look at her. "Thank you."

/-/

In the courtyard of Beacon, Ciel stood, waiting for Jaune to arrive. As she waited, the Atlas girl garnered attention from a few of the male and curiously female variety. Leading her to believe it came from her actions in combat class rather than the getup Jenny had insisted she wear. Though that probably didn't help.

After getting back to the dorm room, Jenny had set about finding something she could wear. Something about it being proper etiquette to wear something different on a date, which was just enough to get Ciel to comply seeing as disagreeing would just waste time. Once she'd been shoved into a baby blue shirt dress with small white flowers, Ciel quickly escorted Penny to the General, who acted strangely upon seeing her for whatever reason. And acted even stranger when she informed him the reason for the change in attire.

Ciel was pleasantly surprised when Jaune showed up perfectly on time. He was wearing his usual attire, a fact that annoyed Ciel to no end because it meant she hadn't needed to change outfits. _Though she never said it was proper etiquette for the male to change attire…_

"Wow, you look… amazing," spoke Jaune, his face flushed and eyes wide in disbelief. "Thank you for agreeing to this."

"It's quite alright, you did me a great service yesterday."

"R-Right."

"So, I take it you have the date planned?"

On the dates she'd been on it Atlas, the boys, usually heirs, always planned each date out to the letter. Each stop meant to display a skill they possessed or accentuate how much wealth they had. Usually, the latter, seeing that despite being a part of high society, her family had little wealth compared the others. Thus they thought such a thing would impress her and possibly even allow them to get "lucky," which none did.

"Well… I don't actually know you that well. So I was thinking that we could do something you'd like. I have a list on my scroll of every place in Vale open around this time, so I'll try to choose where we go based on your answer," spoke Jaune, still looking rather nervous.

 _That's… different._

"I see. Very well.

"So, what _do_ you enjoy?"

/-/

Jaune believed that he discovered his semblance. It was surely a semblance that boosted luck to obscene proportions, for he was far too blessed for what he deserved. This was something he was reminded of every time he turned and saw the most adorable girl in sight, possibly for miles, sitting in front of him. Her outfit was so cute and contrasted so heavily with her cold demeanor Jaune was sure any second now he would wake up from a dream.

 _I didn't know she was going to dress up! I should have worn something better! Fuck! Arrg!_

"So, you just order and they make it in front of you?"

The blond leader snapped out of his thoughts at the question. "Hm? Oh, uh, yeah, that's basically it. You said you enjoyed cooking, so I thought you might enjoy this."

This particular restaurant was actually rather a popular one with the students at Beacon. The tables were each positioned near large stove tops where chefs prepared the food, always with dramatic flair. It was the closest thing had been able to come up with in regards to cooking.

"It certainly is quite different than what I'm used to in Atlas. Food preparation is below those of high society, thus the best restaurants are those where you can pick up not even a noise from the kitchen. I believe I prefer this far better."

 _Yeeeaaah boi! One point for Jaune!_

"Great! So, uh, how did you get into cooking?" Jaune asked, genuinely interested. What with her somewhat robotic nature for lack of a better term, made any hobbies she had quite curious.

"Well, as a girl I stayed with my grandfather because both my parents worked rather long hours. I saw it as appropriate that I should help him around the house. He also believed that everyone should know how to cook at least a little, so I learned and found I enjoyed it."

Through that one question, Jaune had actually learned a surprising amount. Filing away all the information she'd given, Jaune continued the conversation. Before he could, however, she surprisingly engaged him. "May I ask a question now, Mr. Arc?"

"Yeah, of course."

"Why did you choose to ask me on a date as your favor?"

Jaune's mouth went dry. He had almost forgotten that Ciel didn't seem the kind to do casual conversation. It was a fair question though and one he couldn't help but wonder if it came from the same place as when Weiss asked him a similar question.

The reason, the _real_ reason probably would sound a bit… _bad_ , but Jaune was done building relationships off lies.

"Well, I guess you could say that I was hoping for something new. I just got over a girl I'd fallen for last semester, though it was completely one-sided. As of the new semester, I had been trying to just improve myself for the better. That was my state of mind when I first ran into you anyway. You came off as very cold but had a level of sincerity in everything you did. One of my friends once told me my blind affection for Wei- er, I mean my crush had blinded me to the possibility of other relationships. So I guess my reason for choosing this as a favor would be I thought I'd love to get to know you, is all."

After he finished speaking, he looked back up to Ciel, meeting her gaze. A gaze that left him feeling transparent. This also seemed to be becoming a trend as of late. It lasted for an indiscriminate amount of time before she spoke once again.

"I see. Well, let's order. It's rude to wait for too long."

"R-Right."

/-/

To Jaune's delight, he and Ciel had actually been able to keep a fairly steady level of conversation throughout. It only got derailed slightly when she stopped to watch the chefs cook their food and when they had started eating. It was in this short time that he realized Ciel, in fact, _didn't_ only have one expression, it was simply that the changes were rather minute. The face she'd made after chewing the first bite forced him to hide a chuckle.

At the moment they were just finishing up, so he decided to ask a possibly more complicated question. "So Ciel, what made you decide to be a Huntress?"

It was something he, after spending time with her, truly wanted to know since he didn't expect the generic 'I wanted to help people' thing. Ciel put down her utensil and regarded him, all done with superhuman methodicalness.

"I suppose the short answer would be it was practical considering my goals. I intended to join the military, however, I was directed to the academy as a better option for experience and the fact I was personally recommended to the General. Needless to say, I felt obligated to do so. The results have been satisfactory."

 _Huh, that means she probably will join the military after year four. In fact, wasn't she able to call in the Atlas military or something last night?_

"I see… so is the training more difficult?"

"In all likelihood, it's easier. Fewer things to deal with. Stronger teammates. Better treatment. I plan to enlist again after the end of my Huntsman training, however, as a Specialist."

"Huh, seems you've really thought it out," answered Jaune, noticing that while she'd answered the question, she hadn't actually _answered it._ Still, her being a little guarded made some sense. "I've heard Atlas Academy is similar to the military barracks though in teaching method."

"I do not have a standard classroom rotation, so I wouldn't know for certain. I can say it isn't as disciplined as you envision. To clash with the status quo, many of the students have taken to acting out and dressing in bombastic fashion. As to be expected from teenagers I suppose… so then, why have you decided to lead a life of violence?"

"At the risk of sounding kind of lame, I guess it was because I wanted to follow in my ancestor's footsteps. They were all Huntsmen and before that. Heroes. Guess it was something I wanted to be a part of as well."

Jaune felt a bit awkward after speaking. He almost wished he had just said the bargain bin 'I want to help people' route. Though sad to say, that wasn't exactly true at all. His pride had gotten him to Beacon far more than any innate benevolent lust for righteousness. "I guess that sounds kind of selfish huh?"

"No."

The blond looked back up. "Really?"

"Yes. I don't believe humans or Faunus for that matter are born with a goal of doing right or wrong, however, those terms may be defined. And purpose isn't something that all are given a clear reason to have. If following in the footsteps of others who accomplished well is your purpose simply because they are who you admire, I see nothing compromising or shameful about that."

"Oh… well, that's a bit more comforting." Jaune had almost said 'thank you' but there was nothing to thank her for. She merely spoke her thoughts, not attempted to make him feel better. Which in its own way was comforting as well.

Two went back to eating, finally finishing up their meals. As they finished, Jaune saw Ciel pull out her scroll for a few moments before placing it on the table and turning her attention towards him. "Are you ready to leave?"

"If you are. It's getting a bit late anyway." Jaune began reaching for his wallet, counting up the amount of money in his head. _Okay, I have just eno-_

"Also, I prefer separate checks if it's not too much to ask," spoke Ciel casually.

 _She's perfect._

 _/-/_

"So, what are you going to do when we get back? It's still pretty early."

Early was relative. It was currently five past eight, meaning the date had lasted four hours, five minutes, and twenty-nine seconds. Unlike others, time never really 'got away' from Ciel. But for possibly the first time in years, she felt she understood the saying. With the date now coming to a close she couldn't honestly say it had been disagreeable. Right now they were walking towards the dorm area after catching the last Bullhead back, on which Jaune went oddly silent.

"I expect twenty minutes of socializing with my team on this afternoon's events, twenty minutes of study, five minutes of meditation, and ten minutes of sleep preparations before sleeping."

"Wow, sounds like you planned it out to the second," Jaune mused, though his amusement tapered off upon the realization that he wasn't off the mark. "Heh, heh… oh."

"A proper schedule is the key to a healthy mind and body, Mr. Arc. I'm positive it would do you a world of good."

"Yeah, you're probably not wrong. I've been trying to get better about that sort of thing anyway. Maybe you could help me later?"

Now many assumed because Ciel didn't completely grasp certain emotional responses or the reasoning behind some social expectations that she was easy to get one over on. She wasn't. Clearly agreeing help would imply they would be spending more time together. Which it just so happens that was what was needed at the moment.

"That means we'd be spending more time together, I assume."

"Oh… well yeah. I guess so. Was that too forward?" Jaune's face flushed as he muttered the last part out, making Ciel wondered if he hadn't been aware of his slyness of word until she pointed it out. Perhaps the honest and earnest nature he put on wasn't facade as had always been a possibility in the back of her mind.

"No. At the very least simply presumptuous."

He went silent, scratching the back of his head. After about a minute of walking, he spoke again. "Hey, can I ask you a question?"

"Go ahead."

"Did you have a good time?"

"I… believe I did."

Jaune chuckled and didn't even attempt to hide the grin slowly taking over his face. "That's great. Really great actually. Well, in that case, I guess I can ask you the next question. Do you want to keep going on dates?"

Ciel, as it turned out, didn't enjoy lying in the least. She was taught to not do so as a girl and barring that, it just didn't feel right. Of course, she lied countless times in service of missions or through basic necessity. Atlas was nothing if not an institution that encouraged being two-faced to the point of forgetting what actual truth was. That didn't mean she enjoyed it though. So it was an odd feeling of satisfaction to not have to lie to Jaune. Not entirely at least.

"I believe I wouldn't mind. I will admit Mr. Arc, that this is was far more enjoyable than I imagined it would be."

That wasn't saying much, considering she expected to experience zero enjoyment beforehand. The boy beside her was radiating joy and seemed to be having a private ceremony of congratulation for himself. She left him to it, walking slowly beside him. When they finally reached the doors of the school, Ciel spoke up.

"Well Mr. Arc, it would seem that the date has come to an end. I do hope it was as satisfactory as you imagined."

Jaune turned to face her, still glowing. "It was… you know, I wasn't sure how well this would go. I was honestly a bit nervous you'd be a bit dismissive since this date was a favor. Thank you, for at least giving me a chance and for being so nice."

He took in a deep breath and became noticeably timid. "So… are we dating now?"

"I have no argument against doing so, thus I'll allow you to decide. Are we dating?"

Jaune's expression grew into a large smile once again. "Yeah, I guess we are."

* * *

 **A/N:** And done. This chapter took awhile so I hope you liked it. Also, the two are dating now! Yay! I'm sure nothing could possibly go wrong…

And now the bonus scenes.

* * *

 **Bonus Scene: Trolling Yang**

Yang liked to think she was a forgiving and even humane person… well maybe not that far but she was still a decently nice person! However, there was something about Ren annihilating her at pool that had awakened something primal. For the past couple of days, she'd been watching him, planning to get sweet revenge. Prove herself once again. It was only natural when it came to matters of pride.

Thus was the reason Yang couldn't stop smiling when she was called down to fight Ren. Fighting was HER sport. The end all be all. Granted, she would give Ren his due. He was no means a bad fighter, though the boy lacked her endurance and ferocity. This match, unfair as it was, would be an excellent way to regain her confidence.

"Get ready for some retribution flower boy cause you're looking at a perfect fighting machine," blustered Yang, slamming her fist together. Ren didn't look impressed. He rarely did. Without saying a word, he reached up and untied his hair, letting the ebony locks cascade down his shoulders. As this happened, a familiar look crossed his expression.

"Is that so?" He questioned, taking a more compact stance than usual. Yang's cockiness only increased.

 _Oh I'm going to enjoy this_

Ms. Goodwitch, after explaining the rules, started the match and Yang immediately began a rapid-fire barrage of a shotgun blast in his direction. He dodged a few and redirected others, ultimately taking little to no damage, all the while attempting to close the gap between them.

Yang for one welcomed the close quarters with open arms. Upon her opponent getting within striking range, he began attacking with several hard and precise strikes at her vital points. They were quick, though not quick enough, each one being batted away or tanked.

She gave as good as she got, throwing punches of all kind with a few kicks as well though with little success. His tight fighting style left few openings. It was an intense minute of trading, taking, and tanking blows. However, Ren finally slipped up. He threw an overhead punch that sailed right over Yang as she duked low and prepared to punish his slip up.

 _Heh, I knew he couldn't keep up-_

Just as Yang's fist sailed towards his gut, something gold and shimmering fell right before her eyes. A lock of beautiful hair. _Her hair._ The bastard hadn't overshot at all. The rather large lock broke her focus just long enough for Ren to strafe to the side, avoiding a punch while kneeing the girl in the face.

Yang tumbled backward but stopped as her feet touched the ground again. Combined with the insult of attacking her hair, Yang's quest for friendly revenge was about to be turned into a bloodsport as rage enveloped her. Using her crouched position as an advantage, she burst into a sprint towards the target of her hatred.

Just as she closed the distance, she and Ren matched gazes again… and the bastard smirked.

Letting out a mighty roar Yang raised her fist, planning to knock him into the audience. Though just as she fired her cocked fist, everything disappeared. The fire. The rage. The hate. It all melted away as if it was never there in the first place. The fire was replaced with a still pond, rage replaced with serenity never before experienced, and hate replaced with cool indifference. It was such a system shock Yang stumbled forward, having lost strength in her legs.

And Ren punished.

An aura coated fist connected with her chin so hard everything went completely white. A knee found it's home just below her sternum, causing Yang to expel air the remaining air in her lungs. Then finally two open palms collided with her ears with such pressure Yang wasn't sure she'd ever hear again. It was that last attack that brought the mighty fighter to a kneel.

Though just as quickly as Yang fell she was back up throwing a blind punch in Ren's general direction. The serenity and calm were gone, replaced with literal blind rage. Her semblance was working at its full capacity, feeding off the girls pain and frustration as substance.

However, half blind, half deaf, and robbed of a sense of balance, Yang's strength meant little. Each time she missed - which was every time she swung - the back of Ren's hand found its way to the side of her face. The hits only fueling the senseless beast she'd temporary become.

Then in a moment of brief clarity, her hand shot forward and grasp Ren's wrist with a vice-like grip. Despite her senses being in complete noncompliance, she could still hit a target she was holding. Raising a fist glowing white with heat, she prepared to put Ren in an early grave.

And then it all came to a halt again. Calm and serenity clashed painfully with rage and unending frustration. Yang's mind felt as if it might snap in two pieces. The mental pain was so great she faltered to follow through with her punch.

And so she lost her opportunity.

An elbow collided with her nose, and her grip on the boy weakened. Two aura tipped fingers jabbed painfully into her throat and she let go completely. Blow after blow was landed, each time she nearly regained some coherence her semblance was thrown out of whack again.

Finally, both knees hit the ground, all her stamina and energy having been exhausted. Yang couldn't activate her semblance even if she wanted to, which she didn't. This was a complete loss, the first of for a long time. Though oddly enough, that seemed okay.

 _Why am I okay with losing? What's wrong with me?_

"Ms. Xiao Long, are you quite alright?" Asked Professor Goodwitch, looking upon her with some concern.

Yang looked to where Ren was standing. His pink pupils held disinterest once again. _He beat me again…_

"Yes, I'm fine Ms. Goodwitch."

/-/

Testing if his semblance countered her own had been a calculated risk and wow was he good at math.

 _It would seem it didn't work completely by the end though. Food for later thought._

Ren looked back over to his rival, finally deactivating his semblance. She seemed content with the loss, a good attitude to have. Though that was in no small part to him.

The small ghost of a smile rekindled briefly before he tied his hair up once again, and let impassivity take him.

 **Bonus Scene 2: Out Cold**

Cinder hadn't been all that specific to Emerald and Mercury about how to fight in combat class should they be called down. Generally just beat anyone who wouldn't arouse suspicion and absolutely no semblance use. Period. Her teammates were strong for their age as well, so not much to worry about.

So when Emerald got called down to fight some random Atlas girl, Cinder only tuned in to see if Emerald would play with her food before winning. They weren't given much chance to fight, so Cinder hoped her pet savored it.

However, as it turned out, the 'food' had been the true predator. The cold, expressionless face of the Atlas girl was more killer than student. This girl, Ciel, had been quick, ruthless, and efficient. It was fascinating and in a word, beautiful. Not to mention rare for someone so young. Regardless of which attributes people attributed to Atlas going folks such as being cold or aloof, she'd seen enough to know they weren't all like that.

At the moment, Cinder and Mercury were sitting in the infirmary next to Emerald's beside, waiting for her to wake up. It wasn't every day someone got injured enough to make a visit here, thus the three were left alone save for the odd nurse milling about.

"So, what do you want to do about her?" Asked Mercury, not looking up from his scroll.

"What are you referring to?"

"I mean after this do you want us to _handle_ that Atlas girl."

Cinder almost chuckled. The apple really doesn't fall far from the assassin tree. "No, I don't believe that will be necessary. I am curious about this girl, however. What do you think, Mercury? Was it simple carelessness that lost Emerald the match?"

"Pft, it didn't help. I guess working for you went to her head."

Cinder would have reprimanded him but the boy was right. Everyone on her team had fought to survive, held no qualms over killing, and generally more experienced. Granted Emerald was physically the weakest but she was surely stronger and quicker than the vast majority her age, semblance or not. Arrogance played a role for certain.

"Emerald underestimated her opponent, a mistake I'm sure she'll do well to never repeat. Let's say she didn't. Do you think she would have lasted longer?"

"Sure. Still would have lost though. That girl was really fast, hit really hard, and was really precise about it. Not to mention looked indifferent to the whole thing. Scary shit."

 _Nearly Fracturing a skull and causing concussion through aura is quite scary._

"Did you notice who she was sitting with as well?"

Mercury finally looked up from his scroll. "Torchwick's little re-... wait a second. Do you think this girl is the same, troublesome Atlas girl Roman mentioned yesterday? The 'fucking brat that called in the whole damn army.'"

Finally, the boy was catching on to her line of thought. "Yes, I believe they are indeed the same person. I'll confirm it with him just to be sure… Mercury, do you think a normal student would know where the fail-safes on a prototype suit of armor would be?"

"Hm, I guess not," he shrugged.

Cinder smirked, new plans already running through her mind. "I don't think so either."

/-/

Emerald woke up in a way that could only be called violent, jerking awake, raising her hands in a defensive position, and breathing heavily through her mouth. Despite there being no pain, she clutched at her chest, almost surprised to find there wasn't a hole. Ciel's cold visage was burned in her memory.

"Good evening, Emerald."

Emerald froze briefly before letting out a sigh of relief at the familiar voice. She turned to see Cinder and Mercury sitting beside her… hospital bed? _Damn, how long was I out?_

"C-Cinder? How long have I been out?"

"Only around two hours."

Emerald looked down, already feeling shame well up in her chest. She'd let her guard down. Cinder must think even less-

"You did well, Emerald."

The girl looked back up, surprised more than anything. "I don't understand."

Cinder stood and walked closer to the bed, placing the back of her hand to Emerald's cheek and caressing her gently. "Because of your carelessness, we've discovered something quite interesting. And you've been put in a perfect position to assist in gaining more information."

"W-What do I need to do?"

Cinder smiled sweetly. "Oh, nothing too difficult."

* * *

 **A/N:** Ren's the actual main character of this story.


End file.
